Angel
by Lady Tsuru27
Summary: Is it possible to love someone who has lost his humanity? Is it possible to restore his humanity with that love? Souichi doesn't know, but he's willing to die trying. This is a weird one... AU, yaoi COMPLETE
1. Lost Dog

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Tyrant Falls in Love**_**. I'm just using the characters to enact my twisted fantasies.**

**Warnings: AU (alternate universe), yaoi (I hope I don't have to tell you what that is…), cursing (mainly from Souichi), and some very disturbing imagery in the form of medical procedures and torture. **

**Pairings: Souichi/Tetsuhiro**

**Summary: When Tetsuhiro disappears again, Souichi becomes distracted with trying to find him, thinking that he has become the victim of a serial killer. The truth is much more complicated than that. Tetsuhiro's alive, but he's been changed so much that he's not even himself anymore. With the web of secrets closing in around them, can Souichi get out of the situation alive and with his kouhai's physical and mental health intact?**

**Notes: This is what you get when you stay up all night reading about advancements in medical procedures while watching **_**Gunslinger Girl**_** after falling into a **_**Tyrant-**_**induced fan craze… It's… Well, it's a little "out there," I think. I owe much of the concepts for the cyborgs to **_**Gunslinger **_**Girl-but don't worry, you don't have to have watched the series to understand the story! I'll explain it all later. I also owe much of the fight scenes and plot to my husband, who actually showed some interest in this! Must have been because it involves some fighting… ^^; I'm not sure how well it will do here, since I don't know how many **_**Tyrant **_**fans are into sci-fi, but I'll give it my best shot! Enjoy! ^_^**

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Prologue

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"_Senpai…" _it was a weak thought, barely penetrating the fog that currently clouded Morinaga Tetsuhiro's mind. He wanted to say the word out loud, to call out for Souichi, but he was unable to. His tongue wouldn't work, nor would his throat. He could barely even move his head, thanks to the plastic tube that was lodged in his trachea.

He could hardly hear what the surgeons were saying. Obviously, it was the sedation that kept him in such a blurry state of mind. Whether they had intended for him to be barely-conscious or not, Tetsuhiro couldn't tell. All he could do was lay there as these strange people crowded around him, moving their hands out of his field of vision and coming back into it smeared with blood. The only thing he felt was slight pressure in his arms, and a crushing sense of hopelessness to go along with it. All-in-all, this was worse than being trapped in the fire. At least there, he had held onto the hope that someone would come rescue him-that Souichi would come rescue him. Now, he wasn't so optimistic.

Tetsuhiro didn't know why he was here, or what these people were doing to him. He could only remember stepping out of his apartment after a small argument with Souichi. He didn't even know what they had argued about, but he remembered that he hadn't been angry. It had been a small matter. Now he could only watch as the surgeons brought something close to the operating table, into his line of sight—it was a long, thick figure that shone like metal under the harsh white lights. Tetsuhiro wondered what it was. It looked a bit like a human arm.

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Chapter 1: Lost Dog

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Souichi was beyond pissed, and more than a little worried. His irritation had started when he and Morinaga had fought. It wasn't such an uncommon occurrence, especially with their personalities being what they were, but that time had been particularly unimportant. Souichi was hungry, and wanted to have a certain food. He couldn't remember now what it had been, but he knew that Morinaga didn't care for it. They had quibbled over it for a bit, and finally Morinaga had left the apartment to go buy the ingredients.

This argument had happened three months ago. Morinaga hadn't been heard from since.

In that time, Souichi felt himself growing more and more desperate each day. Of course he had contacted the police, but he had also taken to wandering the city, searching on his own. Now, he was pacing the sidewalk outside of a gay bar, looking around for anyone suspicious.

This habit of his to watch over gay bars had started with a news report that aired about two months after Morinaga's disappearance. Apparently there had been two other reports of homosexuals disappearing from gay bars. A serial killer was suspected. It had sent an icy spear straight through Souichi's heart when Morinaga Tetsuhiro had been named as one of the suspected victims.

"As if I had to be fucking reminded…" Souichi grumbled, trying to forget the feeling of terror that had gripped him when his kouhai's name and picture had been shown on national television. It wasn't just that he was missing; now he was a possible murder victim.

Souichi suspiciously eyed a black van as it drove past the bar slowly. If there really was a serial killer, then he'd have to strike again sometime. There was even the possibility that this "killer" was just a kidnapper. It reminded Souichi of a novel he'd read once, where a man—bitter about his gay lover leaving him—had taken to kidnapping other men and forcing them to stay with him. Souichi had once used this book as one of his reasons for hating homos. Now he was praying that it was true to life. He was willing to believe in something as farfetched as that, as long as he didn't have to think about the possibility that his kouhai-his Tetsuhiro-was dead.

The urge to rationalize his behavior was completely gone. Souichi paced the pavement, glancing around at anyone who looked suspicious. He had come to memorize the faces of bar patrons, and some of them already knew him well enough to steer clear of him. Most of them thought he was mad. Whenever he saw someone new coming into or out of a bar, he would accost them with demanding questions, waving Tetsuhiro's picture in their faces. Souichi didn't think twice about doing this, and he didn't try to think of reasons for his behavior.

He just wanted his kouhai back.

"_This is too much…" _Souichi thought as he pulled his jacket closely around himself, _"That idiot should have known better than to walk alone at night! Of course, I didn't offer to walk with him in the first place…" _a pang of guilt hit him hard, _"B- but… he should have asked, dammit! Then I wouldn't have to go through this shit!" _

The young man blinked rapidly as his eyes began to sting all of a sudden. It wasn't the first time, and he hated to admit that it wouldn't be the last. He couldn't very well scan for suspicious individuals with his vision blurred, and he wiped fiercely at his eyes with his sleeve.

Just as his head rose from the crook of his arm, he spotted someone coming towards the bar. The man didn't look all that remarkable-mousy hair, a long black coat, and a bunch of papers under his arm. Still, Souichi couldn't recall seeing him before, and he stepped forward as the man came to the bar's entrance.

"Hey, you!" Souichi stepped forward, blocking the man's path.

"Uh… C- can I… help you?" the usual shock tinged with fear was splashed all across the man's face. It was an expression that Souichi was very used to seeing.

"Have you seen this guy?" the familiar motion of pulling the picture out of his pocket, shoving it in the stranger's face, and feeling disappointed when said stranger reacted with utter nonchalance…

But this one wasn't.

"N- no… Not at all…" the man muttered, but Souichi was too shocked to say anything in reply. There had been a flash of recognition in the other's eyes. He had seen Morinaga before. In addition to that, the man seemed very surprised just by seeing the picture. He shrugged his way past Souichi, turning and disappearing into a crowd at the nearby bus stop, but the latter was frozen in place. That reaction… That flash of recognition…

Every part of Souichi's mind-and heart-was telling him that this man knew what had happened to Morinaga.

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TBC

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**Well, how was it? I have the entire thing planned out and chapter two already written, but I wanted to post the first chapter to see if it'll worth it to write out the others. I can't hope to be as good as some of the other authors on this forum, but I hope to at least pique some interest! ^_^**


	2. Angel kun

**Notes: Wow, that was fast! Thanks for the reviews! I had been unsure of how well this idea would go over here, but I'm glad you guys found it interesting! So, here's chapter 2. I'm still working on chapter 3, so that should be up soon. Thanks again, and enjoy! ^_^**

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Chapter 2: Angel-kun

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It was time to wake up. His eyes opened as soon as the lights went on; the dark green orbs scanned the room before their owner got out of bed. With a yawn, the young man reached up to tousle his untidy black hair, and he began going through the motions of dressing himself. The way he moved was almost mechanical-slowly bend to pick up the plain white shorts, slowly pull on the plain white shirt... His outfit and manner of moving were as blank as his room, which was painted a simple blue color with a simple bed, table, and two chairs.

"All students report to the training arena," the automated voice on the PA system brought the man to attention, and he waited patiently at the door until a guard unlocked it.

"Morning," the guard greeted him, and the young man looked at the uniformed guard for a minute before recognizing him.

"Ah, Mizumi-san… Good morning…"

"Ready to go, Angel?"

"Yes, sir…"

As the two made their way down the hall, Angel glanced into the other rooms that they passed. It seemed as if everyone else was already up. As if reading his mind, Mizumi said, "Looks like the others got up early again."

"…Looks like it…" his voice was quiet, and held a flat tone.

"Not very talkative today, huh?" Angel didn't answer, and Mizumi glanced back at him briefly, "They just give ya another treatment?"

"Yes, sir…"

"You know you don't have to call me that." The guard's attempts at conversation stopped, though, when they reached the door to the training arena. Nodding to the three other guards around the door, Mizumi opened the door and allowed his charge to enter the arena. "Good luck in there," he said before the door shut.

"…Thanks…" Angel muttered, and then walked over to join the others in the gymnasium-like space, his shoes tapping softly against the polished floor.

"Angel-kun!" the young man almost smiled a bit when a small girl called his name and ran over to him, "Angel-kun, there you are! You always wait until the last minute, huh?"

"Yes, I suppose I do…" another small smile and his eyes came to rest on the other two; a tall young man about his age, and a young woman with deep red hair. They each nodded to him, and he returned the salutation.

"Angel-kun, I heard that our trainers are off today," the little girl said, brushing her raven-colored hair out of her softly-shaped face, "That's good, right?"

"Ah, but Lily-chan… you… missed Murata-san…"

"Naah, I'll be alright," she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards where the others stood, "But you won't have to deal with Nakahara-san, right?"

"That's a good thing…"

"Good morning, students," a voice came over the PA system, and all four heads turned to look at the raised platform behind a wall of glass.

"Good morning, teacher," they addressed the woman standing behind the computer console.

"Today we'll start with some basic stretches, and then get into some more intense aerobics before breakfast."

"Yes, teacher," all of the "students" bowed, then began their routine stretching as a group of white-coated scientists entered the room to monitor them more closely.

"Did you hear that some guy actually asked M. about Angel?" the black-haired man, though he was focused in his training, couldn't help but falter when he heard his name. Keeping in sync with the others, he did his best to listen to what the scientists were saying.

"You're kidding!" another white-coat exclaimed, "I thought the guy didn't have anyone! At least, nobody he was that close to…"

"Yeah, M. said it looked like his roommate."

"I didn't think they were that close. I mean, from what he gathered, the guy was always so mean, so…"

"Maybe they were friends after all," a third scientist said, "Perhaps M. is slipping a bit in his research."

"Probably," the first said, "You know how flaky the guy can be. I can't believe they hired him as a scout…"

"Well, Angel is a very successful case," the second said, flicking her long hair back, "He came through the surgical procedures much more quickly than the others had. M. can't be too badly skilled in seeking qualified subjects."

"Yeah, that's true. But Angel hasn't taken to the obedience training too well."

"You mean he **still **hasn't bonded with Nakahara-san?"

"That's enough," the woman in the glass box announced, "Begin level 2 aerobics."

The four subjects waited until the scientists attached the proper monitors. Then they all began their workout. The scientists in the room changed the topic of their conversation, going over the figures flashing on the monitors before them. Still, Angel couldn't help but wonder about their previous talk. The drugs coursing through his body prevented his mind from focusing for too long; still, he began to slowly grasp the concept that they had been talking about him, and about his roommate.

He couldn't remember ever having a roommate. In fact, he couldn't remember life before the compound. The laboratory, the training arena, the target course, his small room… those were the limits of his little world, and for the most part he had been content here. This was all he knew, and the concept that there was somebody out there who was looking for him… it was too much to believe.

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Souichi sat in a crouched pose, hidden behind a sign next to the bar. He was convinced that the strange guy would show up again. After waiting for a couple of hours, he finally spotted him. There was the same simple haircut and black coat. He was even carrying the same manila file folders.

Stealthily, the long-haired man began creeping towards the unsuspecting target. It seemed as if he had no interest in the bar tonight; he walked past with only a slight glance. A few steps past the door, though, and he stopped to check his watch.

That was when Souichi made his move. He rushed forward and grabbed the man by the arm, spinning him around and scattering the file folders on the sidewalk. The few people who were out at the late hour turned to stare as Souichi shouted, "WAIT JUST A MINUTE, YOU!"

"AH! Get away from me!" the man yelled and shook his arm, trying to loosen Souichi's vice grip. In his adrenaline-induced rush, Souichi pushed the man into the wall without any preliminaries. A woman screamed; Souichi threw her a nasty look before turning to face his prey, the man who had…

…absolutely none of the features of the real suspect.

Souichi stared in shock as the man finally escaped his grasp, running past the small crowd and disappearing into the night, panicked whimpers fading with his frantic footsteps.

"_That… didn't go well…" _Souichi glanced around nervously, glaring at the five or so people who had stopped to watch his display. "What are you looking at?" he demanded, "That guy tried to steal my wallet!"

"Uh… perhaps you should call the police, then?" a brave bystander suggested, but Souichi wasn't listening to him. Behind the man was the person Souichi had been waiting for.

"YOU!" he shouted, and rushed forward to push the innocent man aside as the other man turned to flee. This time he was sure of his identification. This was the right guy. He chased him for nearly a block before the man turned down an alley. Breath coming in sharp pants, Souichi made a sharp turn and went full-throttle towards the retreating figure.

The black-coated man didn't even falter when he came to a concrete wall at the back of the narrow alley. The barest light came into the alley from the street, but Souichi could see the man pull something out of his pocket. Without thinking, he rushed forward with a final burst of speed, intent on disarming his target.

What the man pulled from his pocket did seem to be a gun. Souichi almost reached him before the man could turn and aim, but he was a bit too slow. The man raised his arm, pointing the gun upward, and fired. Souichi stopped, his heart skipping more than a couple of beats, but no bullet came out of the gun. Instead, a metallic cable shot out.

Souichi didn't have time to react. The man was up in the air before he could be stopped, and Souichi barely grasped at the edge of the man's coat as he shot upward. The fabric slipped from his fingers, and then the man was gone.

For a moment, Souichi could only stand there blankly. Then he picked up a nearby trash can and threw it into the wall with such force that it was nearly flattened. "FUCK!" he screamed, dropping to his knees. Tears came to his eyes, falling onto the pavement as he clenched his fists and slammed them into the ground.

He swore again when the sides of his fists were scraped open by the rough ground. However, as he brought his hands up to look at the damage, something caught his attention. It was a small scrap of paper that was stuck to the side of his hand, and gently he picked it off. Pulling his pocket flashlight out, he focused the weak beam onto the paper. It appeared to be a business card. There was only one line printed on it: Secret Intelligence and Threat Elimination, Japanese Division.

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TBC

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**That's all for now. Like I said, I'll write chapter 3 as soon as I can. See ya!**


	3. Undertow

**Notes: I'm so glad you guys like it so far! I like to intrigue people with my stories, so I hope I can meet your expectations! I went ahead and finished chapter three because... well, just because! Hey, it's four in the morning, I've got a cold, and I have no homework tomorrow, so I think I can spend some time on fanfics. Enjoy! ^_^**

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Chapter 3: Undertow

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Secret Intelligence and Threat Elimination was apparently very true to its name. It was impossible to find anything on the… whatever it was. Souichi really didn't know. He didn't even know if the card belonged to that strange man, but he had to at least try to find out about it. It was something to go on, and if nothing else, it kept him occupied. For the first time in three months, he felt like he was getting somewhere, even if he was stuck along the way. The SITE was not in the phone book, and an internet search revealed nothing. With a growl of frustration, Souichi slammed his laptop shut, glaring at the business card with all his might. He was almost commanding it to reveal its secrets. If it truly was a real business or association, then surely it would have a website or at least a listing in the phone registry.

The long-haired man leaned back on the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose. Glancing at the clock, he confirmed that it was past two o'clock in the morning. He had been searching for information on SITE for almost three hours. It had taken a lot of caffeine, but by now he was used to staying awake all night.

Just as the coffee was beginning to wear off, there was a knock at the door. Another growl of irritation left Souichi as he stood and walked to the door. Looking through the peep hole, his heart began to beat faster. It was a police officer.

"What is it?" he nearly shouted, jerking the door open and surprising the policeman.

"Ah, T- Tatsumi Souichi?" the cop cleared his throat and adjusted his hat, which had been knocked askew by the force of Souichi's exclamation.

"Yeah, that's me. What do you want?" Souichi took a step towards the startled officer, "Is it about Morinaga? Tell me!"

"Actually, Tatsumi-san…"

"It is?"

"Y- yes, that's correct. We've found him."

"Found him…" Souichi couldn't believe it. He stared at the officer, feeling as if his body had suddenly become lighter. He felt like soaring above the earth and into the stratosphere.

"He is in the hospital at the moment, but his injuries-"

"What do you mean, 'his injuries'? **Where was he**?"

"We found him in an abandoned warehouse, after receiving an anonymous tip. No sign of the kidnapper, and Morinaga-san was unconscious when we found him. The doctors-"

"I have to go see him!" Souichi grabbed his coat from the wall hook, pulling it on hastily.

"That is why we came here to inform you in person," the policeman said, putting his hands up to stop Souichi from running him over, "We thought you would need a ride. Officer Ryuzaki recalled that you didn't have a car, so we thought we might take you there."

"What are you waiting for, then?" Souichi pushed the officer out of the way, his angry manner hiding how happy he was inside. Of course, the kidnapper would have to come to justice. Nevertheless, Tetsuhiro was safe, and that was what really mattered.

Walking out into the cool, clear night, Souichi took a breath to calm himself. It wouldn't do to seem so upset. The officers might wonder why he was so concerned. _"He __**is **__my roommate, after all! And I work with him, so it's not such a big deal for me to get this excited…" _his rational side was beginning to emerge again, knowing that his kouhai was safe. _"When he wakes up," _he told himself as he opened the door on the squad car, _"I'm going to really let him have it! He shouldn't have been so careless!" _

He took a seat in the back, nodding to the cop in the passenger seat. _"Really, he could have offered me that seat…" _he thought, closing the door, _"I feel like a damn criminal, sitting back here. There's even a pane of glass separating us! Just what the hell is that about? Couldn't they have gotten another car?"_

It was after the car had begun to cruise down the street that Souichi felt something odd. He smelled something strange, and sniffed in an attempt to identify the odor. It was faint, but very sweet. The more he sniffed, though, the more light-headed he began to feel. _"Just what the hell is going on here?" _he wondered, coughing and trying to block out the offending smell. "H- hey… What's this?" he said weakly, his eyelids beginning to droop.

"Don't worry, you'll just take a quick nap," one of the officers said through an intercom in the car.

"What the fuck…?" Souichi's head slouched on his chest, and his eyes closed completely. In a matter of seconds, he was out.

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When Souichi woke up, his first thought was that he was going to kill those cops. Groaning, holding a hand to his aching head, he sat up and adjusted his glasses. There was definitely something alarming about this situation. "The bastards used chloroform fumes…" he mumbled, glaring around the room, "I thought I recognized that smell…"

He certainly had no idea where he was, but it reminded him of a hospital room. He was lying on a simple bed with metal bars around it, and there was a small table and two chairs in the corner. One door, standing ajar, led to a bathroom. Another door was set at the opposite wall, sporting a long slot. The rest of the wall with the door was taken up by a large window. Souichi could see the brightly-lit hallway beyond the glass, as starkly white as the room he was in.

"Hey, where the hell am I?" he shouted, standing a bit shakily and stumbling towards the window, "Hello?" He pounded on the glass with both fists, gaining strength bit by bit as the chloroform wore off, "HEY! ANYBODY HERE? WHERE THE FUCK AM I!"

"Temper, temper…" a calm voice answered, and Souichi jumped back from the glass. "Well, they said you'd be a problem. That's why we put you in here, just in case you tried to strike out at us or anything."

Turning his head, Souichi saw that the voice was coming from an open window in the door. A stern-looking man stared in at him, and he glared back with gritted teeth and clenched fists. "Who the hell are you?"

"You can call me Takeda," the man replied, moving so that he was standing in front of the window, "I own this place. As for why you are here… Well, that's because you accosted one of our agents a few hours ago."

"That guy…" Souichi took another step back, collapsing onto a plastic chair, "S- so what if I did? I was just trying to find my roommate!"

"Your roommate, huh?" Takeda chuckled, smoothing a crease in his finely-pressed suit, "That wouldn't happen to be Morinaga Tetsuhiro, would it?"

"**Where is he**!" Souichi leapt up again, stalking over to the glass and leaning very close to the perforations that allowed air and sound to pass through, "What have you done with him? How do you know about him?"

"Calm down, Tatsumi-san," Takeda sighed, "It was a bit of a misunderstanding on our part. We had no idea that you would be so intent on finding him once he'd disappeared."

"Why the hell wouldn't I?" Souichi pounded the glass again, emphasizing each word with a punch, "Stop being so fucking cryptic! Why do you CARE?"

"I'll tell you, if that's your final wish."

"What?"

"I said, if you truly want to know before you die, then I'll tell you. It's the least I can do."

Once again, Souichi was stunned. He stumbled backwards, landing on the chair again, and stared in horror at the man who was very calmly telling him that he was going to die. "What do you mean, die? You're going to kill me?"

"If we can't erase your memory, then yes," Takeda said, sighing, "I hate to do it, but we absolutely must protect the secrecy of our organization. If word were to get out… Well, it wouldn't be good. Not at all… If you hadn't begun to get suspicious of our agent… Rather, if our agent had been more careful… this unfortunate turn of events could have been avoided."

"STOP TALKING LIKE IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN'T AVOID!" Souichi shrieked in his panic, "You don't have to KILL me, idiot!"

"As I said, we'll only kill you if the brainwashing technique doesn't work. Our scientists have truly revolutionized the technique, but it doesn't work on everyone."

"So… so… Shit…" Souichi muttered, beginning to tremble all over.

"I'm sorry," Takeda said, though there wasn't a hint of regret in his voice, "Please understand the position I'm in. After all, this is for the good of the country."

"Sh- shut up… Think I care?" Souichi bowed his head, anger ebbing away to hopelessness. Glaring back up at Takeda, he swore in the deepest part of his soul that he would somehow get revenge on this person, even if he had to haunt him as a ghost.

However, fate has a strange way of intervening. Just when a person is at an extreme high or low in life, something happens to bring them back down or up. In this way, just as Souichi was beginning to give up on ever leaving that room alive, something happened to change his fate.

As he glared at Takeda, the man turned to walk away. Just then, two more people walked by. The one in uniform paused, bowed to Takeda, and muttered a greeting. Takeda returned it, his bow much shallower, but he seemed pleased to see the uniformed man. They began to exchange small talk, but Souichi wasn't listening to them.

He was looking intently at the man standing behind the uniformed person. The man with untidy black hair and a very familiar face, who was looking down placidly. "Tetsu… Tetsuhiro…" Souichi stuttered, standing again and rushing to the window, "**Tetsuhiro**!"

At Souichi's cry, Tetsuhiro's head snapped up and his eyes went wide. Takeda's eyes widened, as well. "I didn't realize…" he said quietly, but watched in silence as the taller man walked towards the glass.

"Tetsuhiro, there you are!" Souichi leaned against the glass, his hands splayed, "What's the matter with you? Haven't you tried to escape? What are you DOING here?" His battery of questions faded on his lips when he looked into Tetsuhiro's eyes. Those green eyes were not the same ones he remembered. There was no spark in them, no life. They were dull and unfocused, and almost totally blank of all expression. It scared Souichi very much, and he couldn't help but let out a small gasp.

"You see? He doesn't even recognize you," Takeda's tone was smug, "You went to all this trouble for nothing. It's promising, in a way. It means you might have a chance to live."

Takeda seemed content to let this sink in. Souichi stood frozen to the spot, staring at Tetsuhiro with a sickening feeling in his gut. The guard stood by awkwardly, apparently unsure of what to say.

Tetsuhiro, though, was beginning to show some life. After several moments of standing in a stupor, he stepped towards the glass and put his hands over the places where Souichi's palms rested. Takeda shook his head, looking disappointed. "That wasn't a very successful test," he sighed, speaking more to himself than anyone else, "I thought they had stamped out all of his memories, but he appears to recognize you… Take him back to his room, Mizumi-san…"

"Right away, sir," the guard stepped forward and placed a hand gently on Tetsuhiro's shoulder. When he tried to pull him away, though, the man refused to budge. "Angel, let's go," the guard said, but Tetsuhiro still refused to move.

"Force him if you have to," Takeda said, rubbing his temples, "I've got to deal with this one. Perhaps I'll just call for his death, since the memory-wiping techniques don't seem to hold very-" he couldn't finish his sentence, though, because an agonized cry tore through the hallway. It shocked Souichi into leaping back, and Mizumi let go of Tetsuhiro's shoulder.

"You can't!" Tetsuhiro turned his gaze towards Takeda, and Souichi was nearly panicked by the look in his kouhai's eyes. They were absolutely tortured. "Please, Takeda-sama… Please!" his voice was shaky, as if he hadn't used it in a long while. It certainly seemed to have an effect on the businessman.

In fact, it was so effective, all he could say was, "Oh, shit…"

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TBC

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**Well, I don't think you'll have to wait very long for chapter four; I've written half of it already, but I wanted to post this before going to bed finally. See ya next time!**


	4. Blackmail

**Notes: Woohoo! Chapter 4 is finished! Thanks to my reviewers, and to those who might be reading without reviewing! I'll warn you right now, though: long-winded explanation ahead. Not much action, but it explains a lot about the setting. **

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Chapter 4: Blackmail

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"This… is very bad," Takeda cleared his throat, leaning forward to rest his chin on top of his folded hands. Souichi glared at him from across the mahogany desk. "You don't realize how very bad this is for us… and for you."

"Why don't you TELL me, then, instead of being so vague?" Souichi packed that one sentence with as much hatred as he could. All he wanted to do was bolt out of the office, find Tetsuhiro, bring him back home, and throttle him.

"I'm going to have to tell you the entire story… And then you will have to make a choice. But I'll begin with the explanation…" leaning back in his plush leather chair, Takeda rocked back and forth slightly on the hinge. "Tatsumi-san, have you ever heard of a cyborg?"

"You mean like the ones from those movies and such?" Souichi scoffed, "What about them?"

"I can see you're going to be skeptical about this, but there's no need for me to sugar-coat it… In short, then, we've created them. Cyborgs."

"…You're joking…"

"Absolutely not," Takeda's tone was almost good-natured, and he chuckled a little, "I know it seems very difficult to understand, but we have created cyborg warriors. As a matter of fact, Angel-the one you call Morinaga-is one of them."

"What?"

"It's absolutely true. You see, we are a secret organization that operates… well, underground, you could say. Don't misunderstand-we work for the good of the country! We specialize in discovering and stopping terrorist and espionage threats to the nation. To do this, we use our cybernetic warriors."

"…Fine… So, assuming that I believe you…" Souichi clenched his fists, "then WHY THE HELL did you take Morinaga?"

"As I said a while ago, it was a bit of a misunderstanding. We obtain our subjects from the unwanted of society. This was actually started by a similar organization in Italy [1]. We began by doing it the same way they did; by taking in orphaned children. We would find the poor, the sick, the lonely… Those who had been cast away, and who had nobody else to care for them. However, our first experiments were not so successful… Our subjects would die very young, due to the physical side effects of some of the drugs… Either way, we didn't have very much luck with them, until we developed a new drug. This drug was safer to use on children, but it still didn't have as good an effect as the previous drug. We discovered that the original worked better on adults."

"So… you take children too, huh? You sick bastards…" Souichi didn't care to hide his disgust.

"Hm. Well, either way," Takeda brushed off Souichi's outrage easily, "We began to look for people who would be suitable, but expanded our search to adults as well. We already had a young girl, and soon we found a young woman. She was a prostitute who we found beaten on the street. If we hadn't brought her here, she would have surely died."

"How **kind **of you…" Souichi practically spat.

"It really was, when you think about it," Takeda's indifference annoyed Souichi, "She became our second successful cyborg assassin. Then we found Morinaga… our scout noticed that he frequented that bar, and a little digging unearthed his severed family ties. After a bit more research, it was apparent that he had no close ties to anyone, and he had already disappeared twice."

Souichi only listened, feeling sharp pains in his heart. Did it really seem that way? Had he really been so distant from Tetsuhiro that others thought they had no relationship at all?

"Obviously, our scout was wrong."

"VERY!"

"Yes, well, now I will explain more about the brainwashing. Conditioning is what the Italians called it. We prefer to call it 're-education,' but nevertheless, it is this process that is most crucial to your situation now…"

"Well, what about it?"

"In re-education, we treat the subjects' minds with certain drugs-as I had mentioned-to make them obedient, and to make them forget about their pasts. These drugs allow subjects to bond with their trainers once the trainers have chosen them." He swiveled the chair to face the side wall, and crossed his legs as he spoke, "Now, the bond between a student and his or her trainer… it is a very crucial component to the success of our missions. Obviously, we can't have a bunch of cyborgs running around out of control. They need to be handled carefully, and they need to be trained. This training is best achieved with help from one person, rather than with a group of people or individually. Once a trainer chooses a student, the student is conditioned to follow the trainer's every command. Of course, students are taught to obey any of their higher-ups, but orders from the trainer are supposed to override all others-with a few exceptions, of course."

"So they're basically brainwashed slaves?"

"…In a way, I suppose… However, it is for their own good. I should remind you that our other subjects had no hope of living fulfilling lives, and it's for the good of-"

"BUT MORINAGA WASN'T ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!"

"Calm yourself!" Takeda finally took a stern tone, "I told you, it was an unfortunate mistake! And now… Well, just let me finish. The reason that this is important for you to know is because Angel-your Morinaga-has chosen you as his trainer."

"What…?" Souichi couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He had come to understand that Tetsuhiro-his sweet, caring, humane, stubborn, infuriating kouhai-was no longer the same person. He was more than upset about it; he was livid. He was in agony. He had been ready to reach across and throttle the man behind the desk, no matter the consequences. Then, as if it had been spoken just to keep him from resorting to violence, he had heard that Tetsuhiro chose him. How could a mindless drone choose anything for himself?

"I understand this must be a shock for you. Honestly, I can't explain why he was able to choose you as his trainer, but… Well, perhaps he does remember you, in some small way. As I said, all of our other subjects were completely unattached to anyone else when they came to us. Whatever his feelings for you were, they must have been strong. Strong enough to keep him from bonding with his assigned trainer…"

Souichi leaned over and put his head in his hands. It was too much to comprehend. It was like something out of a movie. "What does this mean?" he asked, his voice just above a shaky whisper, "You can't just leave things like this… Can't you just let us both go? Wipe our memories, since you're so damn obsessed with doing that!"

"It's not that simple. We cannot let Angel-"

"Why do you keep calling him that?" Souichi glared at Takeda from between his fingers, "He has a real name! Don't call him 'Angel' like he's some pet dog!"

"I'm sorry, that's the name that his trainer-er, **former **trainer-gave to him…"

"Why Angel?"

"I'm not sure. No doubt he has his reasons."

"Ah."

Both men were silent for a moment, Souichi gathering his thoughts and Takeda allowing him to. Finally, though, Takeda said, "Tatsumi-san, I'm afraid we cannot let Angel leave the compound. He is our property no-"

"PROPERTY?"

"Tatsumi-san, **calm down**!" Takeda leaned forward and slammed his hands on the desk, "I understand this is hard for you, but think rationally! We can't just let a cyborg walk out of here! Do you know what could happen if that were the case? Never mind the damage that could cause to our organization-do you realize the possible consequences of allowing him to leave? Suppose he were to get injured! Do you think any hospital would have the equipment or knowledge to heal him?"

Souichi couldn't answer. His throat felt like cotton.

"You really have only two options," Takeda's tone was a bit gentler, though not in a kindly way, "If you really want to leave here, then we can erase your memory. If it works, then you can go home and forget all about this. However… we will have to find another use for Angel-"

"What do you mean, another use?"

"Well, now that he has chosen you as his trainer, he would be useless without you. He won't listen as carefully to anyone else, so it would be dangerous to send him on any missions. Besides, the emotional bond between student and trainer… Well, he would probably refuse to listen at all, just because he would miss you so much."

"Miss me?"

"Yes. They **are **capable of emotion, after all. It is their emotions that we use to control their behavior."

Souichi looked down at the blue carpet, saying nothing.

"The only other way we could use him would be as a test subject, but we don't really need one… We could perhaps send him to another division… I think the one in France was needing healthy male subjects…"

"As a test subject…" Souichi put two fingers to his temple. As a test subject, Tetsuhiro would have no hope of surviving for very long. What little amount of time he would have, it would be spent in a laboratory. The thought terrified him, just as much as the thought of going back to the hell he had been living since Tetsuhiro disappeared. What was worse was the fact that he wouldn't know. He would have no idea what had happened to his kouhai.

"I… can't allow that…" Souichi barely realized that he had said it aloud.

"Then there is only one other option," Takeda said, "You must accept the responsibility of being his trainer."

"Wh- what does that mean…?"

"It means that you would have to agree to stay here and train Angel-with supervision, of course. You will stay in his room. Trainers usually stay in a separate part of the compound, but your situation would be different… You would have to pass a series of training modules, and of course learn about the kind of work we do here. And, of course, you would be unable to leave except on very rare occasions. You would also have to tell your relatives whatever we say you have to. They cannot know about this, at all."

"You… bastards…" Souichi groaned, "So it's blackmail, then? Fine! I'll stay here and train him, because I'm not gonna let some cowardly corporation erase my memories! And I'm not gonna let you use Morinaga as a test subject! He's my kouhai, you know! If anyone's going to boss him around, it's going to be **me**!"

"That's the spirit, Tatsumi-san," Takeda nodded, crossing his arms, "It's good to try and see the benefit in this. You would be helping our cause, and-"

"I don't give a flying fuck about your 'cause'!"

"Ah, yes, I know. But perhaps you could come to. I think you could excel here, you know, with your background in laboratory procedures. You could even help out our research team-"

"I won't do anything like that!" Souichi shouted, taking his turn to slam his fists on the desktop, "I just want to keep my sanity; who knows how that 'brainwashing' could screw up my mind!"

"True," Takeda sighed, "I understand your concern for your… 'roommate'."

"What's with that tone?" Souichi growled, "Look, I'll agree to your terms, OK? But mark my words, we're going to find a way out of here!"

"Good!" the smiling businessman seemed to completely disregard the threat, "Welcome to the team, Tatsumi-san!"

Souichi didn't accept the extended handshake, and he didn't say anything when a guard came to escort him to the library. He only wondered what was going to happen, and what he was going to tell Kanako and Tomoe. _"I'll definitely find a way out of here!" _he thought, _"I'll bring down the whole damn organization!" _Even with these thoughts in his mind, Souichi couldn't help but think that of all the times he'd been blackmailed, this was the worst.

XXXXX

TBC

XXXXX

**Remember, reviews make me happy! I also want to know if I begin to stray into OOC-ness. Let me know if my characterization's off; I don't take offense at criticism! Anyway, I haven't started chapter 5 yet. I've got one hell of a cold; I'm hopped up on medicine, and my eyes are watering too much to see straight, so expect chapter 5 a little later. **

**1. I'm referring to the Social Wellfare Agency from _Gunslinger Girl_, which is based in Italy. **


	5. Hiroshi

**Notes: Thanks to wastedaddiction and to anyone else who read the fic! ScissorMirror, I miss your reviews... (sniffle) Ah, well, that's enough of my being a review whore! Now, onward to the next two chapters! The fifth one took me a long time to write, since I'm just now getting over the cold, and I had some homework to catch up on. So... enjoy! **

XXXXX

Chapter 5: Hiroshi

XXXXX

Souichi remained silent as he was escorted down the hallway, through another hallway, and finally to a room that he assumed was Tetsuhiro's. His kouhai was there, sitting at the table and disassembling a gun. _"That's just… not right," _Souichi thought, staring at the man he felt he no longer knew as the guard left the room and closed the door behind him. Tetsuhiro looked up at the sound of the door closing; his green eyes flashed in recognition, and then he stood in a fluidly quick motion, his hands at his sides.

"T- Tetsuhiro…" Souichi choked out his kouhai's name, taking a step forward.

The taller man said nothing, but gave Souichi a quizzical look.

"Don't you remember me?" the long-haired man's voice was desperate. He was unable to keep up the cold, calculating façade, and didn't really feel like it anyway.

"Of course," the familiar warm tone was gone, but Souichi could almost see a spark in those green eyes, "We met earlier… They said you were going to be my trainer."

It was Souichi's turn to withhold reply. He looked down, unsure of what to say or do.

"Tatsumi-san…" Tetsuhiro knelt in front of Souichi, surprising the older man with his determined expression, "I promise I will protect you. I promise to never fail you."

"Don't say things like that, idiot…"

"I'm sorry…" Tetsuhiro looked up at him, confused, "What should I do?"

"…I don't know…" Souichi sighed, sitting on the bed. He really didn't know.

XXXXX

The next few days passed like a bad dream. Just when Souichi was sure he was about to wake up, it continued. However, he was determined not to buckle under the pressure. He was determined to survive and escape, no matter what. Even if he failed to bring Tetsuhiro with him, he could still gather the military, the police, and any other force he could think of to come get him.

The training modules had proven to be easier than he'd thought. His new "job" mainly focused on strategy, which he was good at. Most of the dirty work was done by the "students" - by his Tetsuhiro. Souichi was mainly told to keep an eye on him, and to control him on behalf of the company.

Convincing his brother and sister, though, had been the hardest part. He could barely control his temper as he read off the pre-typed story in front of him. He had had to tell his sister, brother and father that he was on vacation. "I just can't take it anymore," he had said to each of them, trying to put more meaning into his words for them to read without alerting the guards stationed around him, "I have to **get away**. Clear my head…"

He hated lying to his family that way, but perhaps it was for the best. He reasoned that it would only endanger them if he could tell the truth, because there was no guarantee that the organization wouldn't send their assassins out to silence them before help could arrive. Besides that, he was grateful that he was allowed to call them once a week. It helped alleviate the loneliness.

Once he had finished with the training modules, Souichi was allowed to watch the "students" train. Thus far, he and Tetsuhiro had gone their separate ways in the morning and hadn't seen each other until evening. Now, he walked to the training arena with Tetsuhiro.

"I'll do my best today, Tatsumi-san," Tetsuhiro's smile was wide, his eyes sparkling. There was hardly any trace of the drug's effects on him, but Souichi's heart hurt every time he looked at his kouhai. He wasn't the same anymore. His personality had begun to shine through as the drugs wore off; they had ordered less ever since he had chosen Souichi as his trainer. However, he was still a pliant ball of clay that formed itself according to what Souichi wanted.

"_He was sort of that way before," _a tiny inner voice said, but Souichi shrugged it off. His Tetsuhiro was no more, perhaps buried forever beneath the cybernetic enhancements and mind-controlling drugs. There might be a way to bring him back, but if so, Souichi had no idea how to do it.

"I'll see you at breakfast, Tatsumi-san!" Souichi looked up at Tetsuhiro's cheerful call. They had reached the arena, and the black-haired man walked through the door with a wave. Souichi allowed the guard to escort him to another door just to the side of the arena, where the trainers gathered every morning to prepare for the training and to observe their students.

Souichi walked into the room, unsure of what to expect. He wondered what the other trainers were like - were they just as manic about training as that vile Takeda?

There were three other trainers in the room, which was small with only a round table and six chairs scattered around it. One of the other people, a short man with spiky black hair, walked over and immediately said, "Hello! You must be the new guy," he took hold of Souichi's hand and shook it before Souichi had time to react, "I'm Murata Miroku. Team 1. Nice to meet you!"

"Uh… yeah, same to you…" Souichi pulled away, frowning at the cheerful man. The other two in the room seemed to roll their eyes, as if they were used to this behavior but didn't quite approve of it.

"See that little girl there?" Miroku pointed to the girl in the arena with long, black hair tied in a ponytail. She was a cute little girl; it was hard for Souichi to believe that she was one of the cyborg assassins. "That's my Lily-chan. She's the best on the force - er, no offense to anyone else, guys! Heheh… Sorry, that was a bit boastful of me. But seriously, she was one of the first. She's cute, isn't she? I call her my little sister, because I just adore her!"

Souichi clenched a fist. He wanted to punch the man for his overt cheerfulness.

"Murata-san, please be quiet before this poor man attacks you…" the woman walked over then, brushing back her light brown hair. She walked with a militant stride, and bowed stiffly but gracefully. Souichi bowed back, glad to have finally met someone here who didn't try to invade his personal space. "My name is Ebihara Sachiko. Pleased to meet you."

"Tatsumi Souichi," the long-haired man bowed back.

"I am Falcon's trainer. He's the young man over there," she nodded to the man standing beside Tetsuhiro in the arena, "We make up Team 4." Turning to Miroku, she sighed and said, "You must forgive Murata-san. He has spent a lot of time overseas, in America."

"Heheh… Yeah, I guess so…" Miroku said sheepishly.

Souichi nodded to show he'd heard her, but said nothing. His gaze wandered to the other man in the room, who was standing in the corner watching the students as they began to run laps around the arena. He was also short, with deep black eyes and jet-black hair slicked back from his high forehead.

"That's Yae Lee," Miroku said, following Souichi's line of sight, "He's from China, I think…"

"You think correctly," Lee said, "And I can make my own introductions. Welcome to the organization," he said with a shallow little bow in Souichi's direction.

"He's Mira's trainer," Miroku said, pointing to a red-haired woman in the arena, "They're Team 2."

"Stop speaking for other people," Lee sighed.

"Sorry, man!"

"You must be Angel's trainer," Sachiko said, partially to break up the miniature argument.

"His name's Tetsuhiro," Souichi grumbled, walking towards the window that overlooked the arena. His kouhai was currently lifting a large metal block; Souichi wondered how much it weighed, and how Tetsuhiro's arms didn't snap from the pressure.

"Hm. I had heard you knew him before," Lee said, joining him at the window, "You are lucky that bastard Takeda didn't kill you."

"We're not allowed to use their real names," Miroku piped in.

"The moron's right," Lee said, "We must only use their nicknames. You may choose to re-name him, though, since you are his new trainer."

"Who was his old trainer?" Souichi asked.

"Nakahara Hiroshi," Sachiko said, her brows drawn together slightly, "He will be here shortly, to meet you and to oversee your training of Angel."

"You speak of him with a bad tone," Souichi observed, turning to her when she didn't reply. The other two looked uncomfortable.

"Hiroshi's not the type of guy you want to hang around with," Miroku finally spoke, though the other two didn't seem to discourage him this time, "He's a little harsh. Honestly, I'm sort of glad that you came here. None of us got along very well with Hiroshi."

"I agree with the idiot," Lee said, sighing, "The man tries to interfere with our training. He sometimes tries to discipline Mira without my permission."

"He hit Lily-chan once, too!" Miroku huffed, then chuckled, "Of course, I gave her permission to sock him. He had one hell of a stomachache after that!"

Souichi remained silent, staring into the training arena as the students began to gather near the door. He wanted to meet this Hiroshi person. He wanted to see just what his training plan for Tetsuhiro had been, and he wanted to assert his own authority. Hiroshi may have been Tetsuhiro's first trainer, but Souichi felt that he had more of a right to Tetsuhiro. He had been bossing him around for six years, after all.

With an irritated sigh, Souichi shook his head. He was actually beginning to take his new position seriously. _"Well, what else can I do?" _he thought, _"I may as well bide my time; I won't get anywhere otherwise. I just have to find my opening and go for it…" _

XXXXX

Souichi got his chance to meet Hiroshi later, when he and Tetsuhiro walked with the other teams to the yard. It was a pleasant morning, with the sun just beginning to peek over the treetops. From the look of the surrounding forest, Souichi deduced that they were somewhere far away from civilization. It was the first look he had had of the outside world since his kidnapping four days ago.

The training yard was a large, walled-in area within the larger walled-in compound. It contained a long obstacle course, a shooting range, a small building without a roof, and a barren area fenced off from everything else.

"You two should wait for Nakahara-san," Sachiko said to Souichi, "He will fill you in on Angel's training so far." With that said, she nodded to Falcon and the two walked off towards the obstacle course.

"Big Brother, let's go!" the little girl's excited voice carried across the yard, and Souichi glanced at her and Miroku for a moment. The girl was pulling on her trainer's hand, tugging him towards the shooting range. He was laughing, telling her not to pull so hard.

Lee and Mira had already gone to the obstacle course. Souichi and Tetsuhiro stood by the gate to the yard, waiting. Tetsuhiro seemed nervous, though Souichi didn't ask why. He guessed it had something to do with the man they were waiting for.

"Tetsu- er, Angel…" Souichi said, "Why did this Nakahara guy call you that? Angel, I mean."

"That's none of your business," someone else said before Tetsuhiro could answer. Souichi turned to see a man walking towards them. He was tall, though not taller than Souichi, with spiky brown hair and eyes that were narrowed in a glare. He wore a suit and tie; he was more formal than Souichi and the others, who mostly wore jeans and sweaters. The way he walked was almost a swagger. Souichi disliked him immediately.

"Oh, yeah?" Souichi scoffed, "I think it **is, **since I'm his trainer."

"Ah, so you're Tatsumi," the man came to a stop beside Tetsuhiro, who kept his gaze to the ground, "You're the one Angel chose, then. Huh." He gave a contemptuous look at Tetsuhiro, "Of course, the very fact that he 'chose' you at all… That's something that should have been prevented by the drugs…"

"I'm sorry, sir…" Tetsuhiro whispered, still looking down.

"You bet you are," Hiroshi scowled.

"Hey, he can't help it if he remembered me!" Souichi found himself shouting. This guy really pissed him off. "Leave him alone!"

"You have no right to tell me what to do," the man argued, "You're only here to be my puppet so that he will obey."

"No, I'm the one who's going to replace you!" Souichi said, "You're Nakahara, aren't you? Takeda said I would be replacing you after a short amount of time!"

"We'll see about that," Hiroshi flicked his bangs out of the way before turning to Tetsuhiro and gesturing towards the shooting range, "Get over there, you. Let's show your 'new trainer' just how far you've failed to come."

Souichi ground his teeth together in anger, his furious gaze following the irritating man as he began walking towards the platform on the gun course. Tetsuhiro only followed, his head still lowered. He didn't seem willing to defend himself at all.

XXXXX

TBC

XXXXX

**Chapter 6, coming right up! Thanks for reading! **


	6. Leverage

**Notes: I feel I need to explain my phrasing a bit. Whenever I'm writing in Souichi's point of view, Tetsuhiro is referred to by his name and Souichi by his. When it's in Tetsuhiro's point of view, Tetsuhiro is called Angel and Souichi is called Tatsumi-san. Even though it's in third-person, I'm still writing from one point of view. Just wanted to clear up any confusion…**

XXXXX

Chapter 6: Leverage

XXXXX

"Don't let your hands shake!"

"Keep your sight level!"

"Stop hesitating!"

"Fire, already!"

Souichi grit his teeth as Hiroshi barked commands at Tetsuhiro, who appeared to be doing his best to follow them. His aim was a little off on occasion, but all-in-all Souichi thought it was fine. It didn't seem to be good enough for Hiroshi, though. The man seemed driven to push Tetsuhiro to the limits of patience, though Souichi supposed that now, his kouhai had all the patience in the world. He had been programmed to, after all.

"Keep both eyes open!" Hiroshi snapped, and Tetsuhiro did what he was told. As he continued to fire the machine gun, spraying bullets into the human-shaped targets moving on the conveyor belts, he would occasionally glance over at Souichi. The long-haired man tried to give his kouhai reassuring looks, but he was too distracted by his anger at Hiroshi.

"Would you quit hesitating so much!" Hiroshi finally seemed to reach his breaking point. He drew back and hit Tetsuhiro across the face. Tetsuhiro barely flinched, but Souichi had had enough. He reached out and grabbed Hiroshi's wrist, twisting it until the man cried out in surprise.

"Don't treat him like that," Souichi hissed, glaring into Hiroshi's startled and furious eyes, "Lay one hand on him, and I'll tear you apart!"

Hiroshi jerked his wrist away, straightened his suit, and leaned closer to Souichi. "You listen to me," he said, venom dripping from his voice, "He is my responsibility. He is soft, and he needs discipline. You want to replace me? Fine. But for as long as I am here, I will train him in the way that I see fit. Understand?" He didn't wait for Souichi to answer. Instead, he turned to Tetsuhiro, who was staring at Souichi with wide eyes. "What are you looking at?" he spat, "You think he's going to save you from your fate? You have to learn to kill, Angel! Now go run the obstacle course; your reflexes aren't quite ready yet."

Tetsuhiro glanced once more at Souichi, then turned and walked off towards the obstacle course.

Souichi continued to glare at Hiroshi, who avoided his gaze stubbornly. The man stood watching Tetsuhiro for a while, and then he said, "Do you really want to know why I named him Angel?"

"What?" Souichi eyed Hiroshi suspiciously. His tone was neutral, without any rage or bitterness. After a disagreement like that, he expected Hiroshi to avoid speaking to him at all.

"I named him that because of what I hoped he would become," Hiroshi said, "The angel of death. The dark angel. I want him to be a fearsome warrior who will become the most efficient of them all. I want our enemies to fear him - and to fear me. In a way, I will become death's master." He gave a bitter laugh, "So far, though, he only shows compassion. He is reluctant to kill. His first week, he refused to pick up a gun at all!" Grasping his hands behind his back, Hiroshi began walking towards the obstacle course. "He'll just have to learn to obey," he said, "He has a match today against Yae's Mira. We'll see how well he does. If you don't find a way to motivate his fighting spirit, then I'll make sure he never has to fight again."

Souichi didn't say anything. He watched the man, glaring daggers at his back, wishing that looks really could kill. He would have to find a way to get Tetsuhiro to fight. With a threat like that, how could he not?

XXXXX

Angel sighed happily, tilting his head back and enjoying the afternoon breeze that played with his hair. He and the other students were taking a break, sitting beneath a tree in the yard and eating lunch together. The trainers were all sitting a few yards away, eating their lunches while discussing missions and the like. With his enhanced sense of hearing, Angel kept a close ear on his trainer. He didn't want Tatsumi-san and Nakahara-san to begin arguing again.

"You really seem to like your new trainer," Lily said, looking up from her vinegar rice, "Is he nicer to you than Nakahara-san is?"

"Yeah," Angel replied, "He defended me. He doesn't like it when Nakahara hits me…"

"That's good!" Falcon chimed in, nodding his head sagely, "It doesn't do well to have a cruel trainer. Ebihara-san says that we're meant to protect them, but it's their job to protect us, as well."

Angel smiled at him. Falcon was always trying to say wise things, and was always quoting his trainer, whom he deemed wiser than anyone.

"Of course that's the way of it," Mira said, flicking her long hair, "That's what Takeda-sama told us, remember?"

"Either way, it's true, and it's good you now have a trainer that you can trust!" Lily said before Falcon could protest. She knew very well that he was defensive to a fault, and she didn't want to allow an argument to break out.

"I'm glad about it!" Tetsuhiro said, taking a bite of his sandwich, "I don't know why, but… I just wanted to please him. I just want to protect him, even when I first saw him…"

"That's pretty strange," Mira said, "Why would you want to do that, just from looking at him once?"

"I don't know. I just really bonded with him in that instant. It was like I knew that I wanted him to be my trainer. It was like I'd known him before, maybe in another life..."

They were all silent after that, until Mira looked up and said, "Do you think he'll make you fight me today?"

"Nakahara-san will make him…" Angel frowned, "I heard him say it. He's going to try to make him, so I suppose I may as well. What's the use in resisting? It's my job to fight, and I guess I should… It's not like I can really hurt you, huh?"

"You'll have to worry about being hurt by me!" Mira stuck her tongue out at him, prompting a giggle from Lily. Angel smiled a little.

"I guess," he said, "You have a lot more spirit than I do!"

"Maybe if you actually defend yourself this time, you'll be able to finally go on a mission!" She leaned back against the tree trunk, "You haven't even been on one yet. Even Falcon's been on one, and he's only been here two months!"

"You're right," Angel said, "I'll try so that I can make Tatsumi-san proud!"

"That's the spirit!" Lily chirped, "Remember, there's nothing wrong with sparring a little!"

"Yes, think about all of the matches we've had," Falcon said, "It was mine and Lily's turn yesterday, and neither of us sustained a scratch."

Angel looked once again at Tatsumi-san. He was sitting away from the other trainers, glaring sullenly at his food. He looked very unhappy. Angel decided then and there that he would fight, if only to make his trainer proud of him.

XXXXX

Just before supper, the students and their trainers gathered around the fenced-off patch of packed earth in the training yard. It was a beautiful evening in early spring, and the sky was beginning to turn a brilliant orange and gold. The clouds were soft pink, gilded at the edges with shadows of purple. Souichi stared up at those clouds, thinking of home and freedom. Then he turned away; the deeper orange hues reminded him of Tetsuhiro's warmth.

Hiroshi goaded Tetsuhiro through the steel gate, standing back to close it once he and the red-haired woman were inside. "All right," Hiroshi said, his deep voice ringing out across the yard and drawing everyone's attention, "Thus far, Angel has failed to qualify for mission assignment. We'll see how he can change that now, in a fight against Yae's Mira."

Souichi looked at Tetsuhiro, who was standing in the middle of the makeshift arena. He and Mira stood apart, facing each other. She winked at him, and he quirked a small smile before Hiroshi said, "The first one to be knocked out of the ring loses. Begin… now!"

Mira sprung into action, literally; she leapt into the air, and even Souichi had to gape at how high she went. She ascended as lightly as a bouncy ball, and as quickly. Tetsuhiro watched her, then dodged when she came back down to land on the spot where he had been standing. He had been a bit too slow, though. She landed just as he leapt out of the way, and her foot shot out to kick at his heels. He flipped over, but stuck his arm out to push against the ground. In a second he was on top of her, and he landed a punch to her side.

She gasped, the breath knocked out of her, but wrapped her arms and legs around him and rolled over to straddle him. She punched him in the face, drawing blood from his lip. He then kicked upwards, pushing her into the air and close to the fence to give himself time to rise.

Souichi watched as Tetsuhiro and Mira charged each other, grappling close to the fence on the opposite side of the ring from the group of spectators. Mira was obviously strong, but Tetsuhiro seemed stronger. She began to slide back, closer and closer to the fence, but then she did something that made Souichi's mouth fall open. Bracing her legs against the ground, she flexed her upper body and flipped Tetsuhiro upward. Now he was balanced with his hands on hers, but he had no balance and was soon slammed onto the fence, the steel bar pressing into his back.

Tetsuhiro gave a small cry of pain, but managed to bend his legs around the lower bars and push against Mira's hands. She tried to push him over the fence; but suddenly, Tetsuhiro changed his direction and pulled her closer. She was caught off balance, and he slammed his forehead into her jaw. She gasped, and he threw her onto the ground before uncurling himself and leaping back into the arena. She barely rolled away in time to avoid his landing on her.

The much taller man seemed to be doing well. However, something was changing. Tetsuhiro seemed to be less inclined to attack after the last blow. Mira had already risen, and was pummeling Tetsuhiro with a barrage of punches and kicks. Tetsuhiro was blocking most of them, but Souichi noticed that he was holding back.

"Fight, Angel!" Hiroshi demanded, "Don't just defend yourself. Defeat her!"

Tetsuhiro glanced at Hiroshi and then at Souichi, who didn't make a single move. He could only stare in silence as Mira tossed Tetsuhiro against the fence. Before Tetsuhiro could get up, Mira leapt onto his chest and stomped him harshly. He groaned and tried to grab her ankles, but she leapt out of the way and kicked him in the side. She then lifted him up by the front of his shirt and pushed him over the fence. At the last minute, he reached out to catch himself. He was now bent over the rail again, his hands clutching at the bars and his legs locked around the lower rails. She still held onto his shirt, pushing him backwards.

It was then that Hiroshi walked over and grabbed Tetsuhiro's hair. Yanking him back, Hiroshi leaned close to his ear. "Get back up and crush her," he said in almost a hiss, "or I'll get rid of your precious new trainer."

Tetsuhiro's eyes widened. He gasped, looking for any sign of a bluff in Hiroshi's eyes. There was none. The dark brown orbs stared harshly at him, and there was nothing less than warning in them.

Mira gave a mighty push. Tetsuhiro grunted, jerked back upwards, and kicked her directly in the stomach. She staggered back, squeaking a little, and he took the opportunity to punch her in the nose. Blood splattered the dirt. Souichi's mouth fell open again as his kouhai proceeded to slam the woman against the ground. She screamed once, and then he lifted her into the air and tossed her like a rag doll over the fence. She landed a few feet away, groaning in pain and wiping her nose. Tetsuhiro stood in the arena, his head bowed.

Hiroshi opened the gate, ignoring Lee's glare as he walked over to help Mira. Tetsuhiro left the arena without looking up, oblivious to Hiroshi's words of approval. He walked over to Souichi, head still lowered, and looked up. Souichi stared at him, unsure of what to think. His kouhai looked more like a lost puppy now than he ever had. He was silently begging for approval, for attention. Souichi couldn't help but reach up and place a hand on his shoulder.

Mira had risen and was now assessing the damage. She walked over to Tetsuhiro and said, "Don't worry about it, you only broke my nose and a couple of ribs. I'm going in for repairs now. You did great!" Tetsuhiro smiled at her, but said nothing. He looked as guilty as he could be.

"Good job, indeed," Hiroshi said, patting Tetsuhiro's head in a way that made Souichi growl in protest, "I think you're finally ready to receive a mission. Keep it up! Go on in for repairs, and we'll see you in the cafeteria."

Tetsuhiro nodded, still silent, and gave Souichi one last look before walking away with the others. Hiroshi then turned to Souichi and smirked. "I didn't think you'd come in handy, but look now!" he said, making Souichi glare at him again, "He'll do anything as long as I threaten you. It's nice to have a bit of leverage, after all…"

Souichi didn't say anything; he was too angry, and too stunned by what he'd just seen. He had never seen Tetsuhiro act violently at all, except for when that stalker had left a small bomb at his house. Then, Tetsuhiro had chased after the crazed man even though he was injured. Then, he had shown a ferocity that had certainly surprised Souichi and Kanako.

This fight had been different. There was no ferocity in his attacks. His eyes had looked completely blank as he had fought, as if he were trying to escape from his own body while he attacked the girl. Souichi knew that the real Tetsuhiro would never have done it. As he watched Hiroshi walk away, he wondered if there really was any hope for Tetsuhiro now. He had become a fighting machine. Even though he didn't want to do it, he was obviously unable to resist in any way. The real Tetsuhiro would have resisted until he was killed. He was brave, and strong-willed.

Souichi frowned, looking up at the darkening sky. Was there any hope for either of them now?

XXXXX

TBC

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**That's six down, seven to go! Sorry if this seems sort of drawn-out, but I'm not too good at long stories! Seriously, I've never written anything over eleven chapters long, and nothing as complex as this. Wish me luck in the coming chapters! **


	7. Blood and Tears

**Notes: Thanks for keeping up with the story this far! And special thanks to ShesGotYourEyes, wastedaddiction, and ScissorMirror for your words of encouragement! You guys are keeping this fic going. Sorry if I have to reply to every review and thank you in every chapter, but I really am grateful! Anyway, here's Chapter 7! I'm sort of proud of myself, because usually I'll start a fic and then it'll sort of fall by the wayside, but I'm actually writing like hell on this… I don't know why, but it just won't let me go! **

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Chapter 7: Blood and Tears

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Two nights after Tetsuhiro's fight, Souichi sat on his bed and dialed Tomoe's number on the cell phone he had been given. It was programmed to call only the other trainers and his siblings. It was also constantly monitored. It irritated him, but at least it was a way to keep in touch with his family.

"What were you doing?" he said as soon as Tomoe picked up. It was good to hear his brother's usual sigh.

"I was just coming out of the shower," Tomoe said, "Besides, Mitsuge left for work already. Stop being so suspicious!"

"I wasn't being suspicious!"

"Whatever…" Tomoe couldn't help but laugh a little, "H- how are you doing, Souichi?" his tone turned serious now, and Souichi could clearly hear the worry in it.

"I'm doing as well as I could be, considering the circumstances…" Souichi said, turning to look at the sleeping Tetsuhiro, "I'm still keeping a lookout for Morinaga. I'm starting to think that he just ran off somewhere…"

"He wouldn't do that to you," Tomoe said, "You said a while ago that he wouldn't just disappear for no reason…"

"True."

"I'm sorry, you probably don't want to talk about it… I- I'm sure that he'll be found soon! I'm sure he's OK, really!"

"Hm."

"How's your vacation going? Is it at least taking your mind off of things?"

"…Yeah… It is."

"I wish you'd come visit us," Tomoe sighed, "When are you going to at least go home? Kanako said she missed you a lot."

"I don't know," Souichi tried to hide the guilt in his voice, "Listen, I have to go now. I'll call Kanako tomorrow, so don't worry about it. Say hi to the old man for me, OK?"

"OK… Take care, Brother…"

"Will do."

Souichi hung up with a heavy heart. He wished he could talk longer, but it was hard to keep up the charade. He knew that the lie kept them safe, but it still rankled him to know that he was being forced to lie to them.

Looking back at Tetsuhiro, Souichi wondered if it was really worth it. He wondered if he should have just accepted the belief that Tetsuhiro had been killed. Would it have been better? Would he have been able to go on in life, knowing that his best - and, in truth - only friend and sometimes-lover was gone forever? The lie wouldn't have been very reassuring, but perhaps he could have eventually found closure and moved on with his life.

He wanted desperately to blame Tetsuhiro, but how could he? He rose from his own bed and stood over the sleeping man, reaching down to stroke the soft hair. He looked like a real angel when he slept. He looked more than human then. Still, Souichi couldn't forget that what he was currently looking at was only superficially human. Beneath the soft flesh, there was hard metal. A series of circuits and wires ran through his body just as living blood vessels and nerves did.

Stubbornly, Souichi withdrew his hand and forced himself to walk away. Loving Tetsuhiro had been difficult before, when their living situation had been relatively normal. Now, he couldn't truly say whether he loved the man or not.

XXXXX

"Your mission is a simple one," Takeda looked Souichi directly in the eye as he spoke, the same smugness and confidence radiating from his gaze. How Souichi hated that man… He and Tetsuhiro were sitting in front of Takeda's desk, as the boss carefully explained their upcoming mission. "This man," he showed them a picture attached to a file; it showed a middle-aged man with heavy glasses and a scowl on his face, "is a well-known member of the yakuza. His specialty is drug trafficking, and he owns a large fishing company as a cover-up for his illegal activities."

"And you want us to go kill him?" Souichi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, we want you to bring him in," Takeda said, "We've found one of his hideouts, and have been spying on him for quite a while. You will go to the storage shed here," he pointed to a spot on the map spread in front of them, "and neutralize any bodyguards he may have with him. We'll send some of our guards along for backup and to… keep an eye on you."

Souichi's eye twitched.

"Well, then, go to it! You're to report to the garage in one hour. Read over the mission brief yourself, and visit the armory to get geared up. Good luck!"

Souichi and Tetsuhiro rose out of their seats and left the office in silence. As they walked out of the small office building and into the courtyard, Souichi glanced over at Tetsuhiro, who was looking absent-mindedly at the fountain in the center of the compound. His eyes were glowing in the golden light of the sunset. "Are you nervous?" Souichi asked, drawing Tetsuhiro's attention.

"A little," Tetsuhiro smiled a bit sheepishly, "I hope I can perform well… I'll try not to let you down, Tatsumi-san."

"I told you, don't call me Tatsumi-san…" Souichi sighed.

"I'm sorry. What should I call you?"

Souichi was silent for a moment, and then he said, "You used to be my kouhai…"

"What?"

"You always called me Senpai," he wasn't sure, but perhaps there was a way to unlock some of those memories. If the real Tetsuhiro was truly still there, then perhaps he could be coaxed to the surface. Souichi nearly held his breath, waiting for Tetsuhiro's reply.

"Senpai…" Tetsuhiro was beginning to get the now-familiar far-off look that he often sported after the drug treatments. Souichi couldn't tell what was going on in his mind.

"Do you remember?"

Tetsuhiro stopped walking. Souichi halted, as well, and turned to face the other man. His heart beat a bit faster.

"When… did I ever call you Senpai?" Tetsuhiro finally asked, a confused look on his face, "I met you just last week…"

"…Forget about it," Souichi sighed, immensely disappointed. The two guards near the large building were eyeing the pair suspiciously, so he urged Tetsuhiro to keep walking.

"Do you want me to call you Senpai?" Tetsuhiro asked as they entered the larger building in the compound.

"Do what you want."

"Senpai…" Tetsuhiro said the word again, and Souichi could swear he heard a bit of pleasure in his voice, "I… like calling you that…"

That innocent tone nearly broke Souichi's heart.

XXXXX

The cliché location was almost too much for Souichi to believe. In movies, drug lords and terrorists always hid in abandoned warehouses or apartment buildings. He could hardly imagine that the reality was so close to the fantasy. The target's hideout was indeed a seemingly-abandoned storage shed in the middle of nowhere. The road leading to it was overgrown, barely visible beneath the shrubbery and grass. The trees on either side of the path were growing overhead, the branches blocking out the weak moonlight and dipping down into the hummer's path as it drove slowly up the hill.

"All right, we'll hoof it from here," the armored guard who was driving suddenly pulled the vehicle into the bushes, turning off the engine, "I'll go with you and keep an eye out from the trees. You know what to do?"

"Yeah," Souichi said, steeling himself for what was to come. If he was going to have to do this, then he was determined to do it right. It was his life on the line, and Tetsuhiro's. Glancing at his kouhai reassured him that the black-haired man was just as determined to succeed.

"All right, let's go," the guard said, hopping out of the car. He began trudging through the undergrowth, Souichi and Tetsuhiro following him.

Souichi was still moving awkwardly, unused to the feeling of wearing fatigues. The bullet-proof vest was also something to get used to. Wiping his bangs out of his face, he looked over at Tetsuhiro, who was walking lightly beside him. Despite the severity of the mission, Souichi had to admit that Tetsuhiro looked rather nice in the thin bodysuit he was wearing. The woman in the armory had told him that it was a special suit designed to withstand the extreme movements and stress that the cyborgs could put on it. It hugged every curve, accentuating the smooth lines and flat stomach.

"_I must be losing my mind…" _Souichi thought as he jerked his eyes away, _"Of all the times to become a pervert… Damn Morinaga…"_

Soon they came to the warehouse. It looked just as forlorn as it did in the picture, so overgrown and rusted that it was easy to imagine a group of thugs hiding here. The soldier made a signal and then positioned himself behind a tree.

Souichi took a deep breath and then walked towards the building, still skirting the trees to stay hidden. Tetsuhiro followed his example, though he was much quieter. He moved fluidly, like a cat. It made Souichi a bit nervous to see the superhuman grace. "All right, go ahead and see what you can," he said, and waited in the trees as Tetsuhiro slunk across the narrow clearing between the forest and the building. The windows on the bottom wall were all boarded up, but there was an opening near the roof. Souichi held his breath as Tetsuhiro scaled the ribbed metal wall, reaching the top too easily and peering through the opening. Souichi wondered if something was wrong when Tetsuhiro dropped silently to the ground and returned all too soon.

"There's nobody inside," he said when he was close enough to whisper, "They were supposed to be there…"

"Say what?" now Souichi stomped towards the building, walking around to the back door and opening it just a crack. It was absolutely dark inside.

"No one's here," Tetsuhiro said again, peering into the darkness, "I wonder why they're gone."

"You…" Souichi glanced at his kouhai, "Can you… see in the dark or something?"

"Yeah, a little," Tetsuhiro said, "Um… What should we do?"

"I don't know," Souichi replied, "I guess we should just go back. Tell them the mission failed."

"Senpai…"

"Hm?" Souichi looked back towards Tetsuhiro again. Something seemed to be bothering him. "What is it, Tetsu- er, Angel?"

"I just… I want to go in… Maybe they left something useful behind." He was looking at Souichi with pleading eyes, begging for the chance to please him, "Can I?"

"…Go ahead," Souichi sighed, "I don't see the harm in it…"

"OK," Tetsuhiro nodded, creeping inside as Souichi stayed at the door. He was quickly swallowed by the darkness, and Souichi strained to see him. It was no use, though. He couldn't even hear any footsteps.

At the least, Souichi was irritated. He didn't like being dragged out to the middle of nowhere for no reason at all. Now he had to wait in darkness for his kouhai to either find something useful or give up the search.

XXXXX

There was nothing of interest in the warehouse, but Angel began to feel uneasy. He was just about to return to his senpai when a loud bang echoed inside of the warehouse. Angel didn't miss a beat, rolling behind the nearest wooden crate and looking immediately towards the door, intent on telling his trainer to run. Instead, his blood ran cold when he took in the sight at the door.

Tatsumi-san was slumped against the doorframe, clutching at his bleeding hip. The bullet had penetrated just below the protective vest.

"_No! Senpai!" _he sprang into action immediately, rushing towards the door as lights suddenly came on in the warehouse and a shower of gunfire rained down on him, _"No, no, no, no, no! Senpai…" _He reached his senpai safely, then lifted him and dashed towards the woods. The guard met him behind one of the trees as a group of men rushed out of the warehouse.

"He's been shot in the hip!" Angel said, laying his senpai down and turning back to rush into the waiting group of thugs, "Tend to him; I'll get rid of them!"

All inhibitions flew out the window as he pulled the large gun out of the holster on his back. He opened fire, charging into the throng as they began shooting at him. He killed two of them instantly; they were unprepared for his charge, and a few of them fell back. Now there were seven of them. Three ran back towards the warehouse, taking shelter behind the door. Four more fanned out around him, and they all opened fire simultaneously.

Angel dashed away then, drawing their fire from where the guard and Tatsumi-san were hidden. The four followed him, but gunshot sounded from the trees near the warehouse. Angel didn't have time to turn and see who had fired at whom. He spun around when a bullet sank into his shoulder, and sprayed his pursuers with ammo. Three of them fell. One remained, and he dodged and rolled into some bushes.

Just then, the guard came running with Tatsumi-san slung across his back. "Go!" he shouted, and Angel ran after him as they retreated. They weren't pursued, and made it back to the hummer with no problems.

XXXXX

Souichi groaned, pressing his hip gently to keep the bandages on. That certainly hadn't gone well. He ground his teeth together every time the vehicle hit a bump in the road, but the guard was reassuring him that they would make it back to the compound soon.

Opening his eyes, Souichi looked over at Tetsuhiro. The man was sitting in the floor near the back seat where Souichi had been laid, keeping his eyes lowered to his lap. The adrenaline rush had obviously worn off, for he was breathing slowly now. Souichi had been shocked when his kouhai had taken off and started fighting. Once again, he had been reminded of the less-than-human mindset underlying his kouhai's personality. However, he had also realized that Tetsuhiro was fighting for him. He had only fought so fiercely to protect him, and that conflicted with the picture of a mindless killer that had formed in Souichi's mind.

"Hey, aren't you going to bandage yourself?" Souichi ground out, fighting the pain in his hip. He couldn't help but notice the many spots of blood seeping through the tight clothing, staining the black material slightly in the yellow interior lights of the car. His shoulder, leg, and side all looked injured; it was likely that he had been shot. However, the pain in Tetsuhiro's eyes seemed to have little to do with the bullet wounds.

"I'm sorry…" was all Tetsuhiro said before looking back down.

"Hey, Angel…" Souichi said, almost softly, "Angel, look at me… urg…" He shifted, his hip flaring up agonizingly. "Tetsuhiro…" His kouhai didn't look up; he only lowered his head, hiding his face with his bangs. However, he was unable to hide the tears that began flowing down his cheeks. Souichi just lay there looking at him; somehow, knowing that Tetsuhiro still had the ability to cry was a comfort to him.

XXXXX

TBC

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**Well, that's another one down! I'm not sure when I'll post the next one, since I've been assigned a lot of homework this week. However, once I work ahead a little, I should get some more free time! I just have to put my nose to the grindstone, for school and for fan fiction! Chapter 8 is already halfway written, so hopefully it'll be soon. **

**I also have to say that I'm not too pleased with the action scenes, since I'm really inexperienced at this sort of writing. If you have any suggestions on how to improve it, I'd be very grateful! The same goes for the more tender scenes that are in the next chapter... I don't want them to be cheesy or anything, and I really want to avoid OOC-ness, especially with Souichi! He's just so fun to write for, but it's sometimes hard to imagine what he'd say or do in a particular situation. **


	8. Promises

**Notes: Well, that was sort of quick! I didn't expect to finish this so soon. Anyway, as always, thanks so much for reviewing, ScissorMirror and wastedaddiction! Thanks also to anyone who's reading. This chapter's not quite to my liking, but hopefully you'll enjoy it! **

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Chapter 8: Promise

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As much as Souichi hated the organization that now imprisoned him, he had to admit that the resident medical team was very efficient. They medicated, cleaned, sutured, and wrapped his wound in record time. He also had to admit that whatever drugs they were using, they were top-notch. _"Whatever super-secret drugs they use, it's pretty effective," _he thought grudgingly, limping out of the infirmary with help from crutches, _"I hardly feel a thing… They probably pumped me full of some experimental drug that'll do all sorts of weird things to my body… Damn them…" _

"There you are!" a voice echoing down the hall made Souichi look up, and when he did he scowled immediately. It was Hiroshi. "You certainly do look banged-up. I had heard you botched the mission…" the man came to a stop right in front of Souichi, who glared up at the man venomously.

"We didn't botch it!" Souichi growled, "They were just waiting for us! It's like they were tipped off beforehand or something, so it wasn't our fault!"

"Heh. Sure," Hiroshi scoffed, "Well, I suppose you're right. After all, it's not your fault that you aren't as well-trained as the rest of us. As for Angel… Well, again, you just don't know how to control him very well."

"Shut it!" Souichi barked in retaliation, "You have no business saying things like that!"

"Forgive me," Hiroshi said with a slight bow, though he didn't seem the least bit sorry. He then walked past Souichi, paying him no more heed.

"Hey, wait just a minute!" Souichi turned painfully and shouted, "Where the hell do you think you're going? Don't just walk away from me!"

"I'm going to see Angel," was the answer.

Gritting his teeth, Souichi limped after the retreating figure. _"Like hell I'm gonna let him see Tetsuhiro without me there!" _he thought, following Hiroshi down the hallway and through two sets of double doors that led to another hallway.

Souichi had never been to this area of the compound. A sign on the previous door stated that it was the Cyborg Repair Unit. There were several doors on the left side, but the right side was nothing but glass. Through this large window, Souichi could see a spacious room with shelves upon shelves of medical equipment. In the middle of the room were two people in medical scrubs, standing over an operating table.

"Tetsuhiro!" Souichi gasped when he realized who was lying on the table. As one of the surgeons moved away, Souichi could see everything clearly. They had opened three places on the nude body; the skin was held back by clamps, keeping spaces on the shoulder, waist, and leg open. One of the surgeons was just extracting a bloody bullet from the wound on the shoulder. What really took Souichi back was that Tetsuhiro's eyes were open.

"H- he's awake…" he muttered, disgusted and horrified. What were these people doing?

"Yes, but don't worry - he's not in any pain," Hiroshi said, glancing at Souichi briefly out of the corner of his eye, "Not as much as he would be, anyway. The drugs that keep him contained have a bad reaction with anesthesia. They can only use a local anesthetic."

"He must be afraid…"

Souichi didn't mean to say it aloud, but it had slipped out. He didn't even notice until Hiroshi replied, "No, I'm sure he's used to it by now. Each of them was awake during the less intensive reconstruction surgeries, and they always stay awake for repairs and routine adjustments. It's not a problem, and it's good for building up their resistance to stress." His tone was nonchalant, but Souichi wondered if the sick bastard got any pleasure out of the knowledge.

After a long silence, Hiroshi said, "Looks like they're finally finishing up." Indeed, the surgeons were suturing the wounds shut. Tetsuhiro looked a bit relieved, though his eyes remained troubled. Souichi wondered if it had anything to do with the misery he had been feeling since the mission ended.

"When can I see him?" Souichi asked curtly.

"Whenever you want. You're his trainer, after all. I suppose you should have some rights, ineffective though you are. I'm going to see him immediately."

"I'm going to see him immediately, too!" Souichi glared at a spot on the window in front of him; he didn't want to look at Hiroshi, and he couldn't stand to look at Tetsuhiro. He looked so lost, lying there alone as the surgeons washed up on the other side of the room. If he could have stormed into the room right then and there, he would have. Instead, he waited until the surgeons helped Tetsuhiro into a stretcher and carried him out of the room.

"This way," Hiroshi said disdainfully, and led Souichi into the third room on the left of the hallway. It appeared to be a hospital room, with a single bed and a couple of uncomfortable-looking chairs. Just seconds later, the surgeons came in and lifted Tetsuhiro into the bed. They left with curt nods to Souichi and Hiroshi, closing the door behind them.

"Are you all right?" Souichi asked immediately, cutting off Hiroshi before the man could get a single syllable out. He received a glare in return, and nearly smirked. He did love to tick the guy off.

"Yes, Senpai…" Tetsuhiro muttered, his face turned towards the wall on the other side of his bed. He obviously didn't want to look at either of the other two.

"You got injured, didn't you?" Hiroshi said quietly, walking over to stand beside the bed before Souichi could.

"Yes, sir…"

"Tatsumi-san was injured as well, huh?"

"…"

"Wasn't he?"

"Y… yes…"

"That's kind of obvious," Souichi interjected, limping quickly to the other side of the bed, "Why are you bringing up stuff like that? Who cares? We're both alive, right?"

"I was talking to Angel," Hiroshi said a little stiffly, apparently having difficulty in reigning in his temper.

"Talk about something else!"

"Why? Is it a sensitive subject?" Hiroshi smirked, placing a hand on Tetsuhiro's head and stroking his hair. The bedridden man didn't move at all; he kept his eyes turned towards the foot of the bed. "I was just going to ask Angel why he thinks you both got hurt," Hiroshi said nonchalantly, but Souichi felt his blood boiling. This man just loved to stir up trouble. "Well, tell me, Angel," he said in a serious tone, his solid features a mask of softness while his eyes were as sharp as knives "Why did you get hurt? Answer me."

"I- I wasn't… careful enough…" Tetsuhiro sighed, closing his eyes.

"Yes, you seemed to disregard everything I've taught you. Why is that?"

"I don't know…"

"Really? Tsk… Too bad. Maybe you could avoid that next time, then."

"I didn't mean… to…" Tetsuhiro's voice was barely a whisper.

"Well, 'didn't mean to' isn't going to save you next time," Hiroshi knelt by the bed, leaning close to Tetsuhiro. A passerby would have thought he was offering words of comfort to the injured young man, but his tone was harsh as the desert sun. "From now on, do what I tell you, or you'll get your precious new trainer killed. Understand?"

"Yes, sir…" Souichi could hear that Tetsuhiro's voice was about to crack. He really seemed upset.

"Hey, don't tell him things like that!" Souichi barked, leaning over as much as his injured hip would let him and glaring at Hiroshi eye-to-eye, "Why don't you just get out of here? You're no use to anyone!"

"You can't tell me what to do," Hiroshi rose, staring Souichi down stubbornly, "But I do have someplace to be. I'll leave you two alone to cheer yourselves up." He walked to the door and opened it, turning back to say, in a light tone dripping with sarcasm, "Just try to forget that Angel's foolish behavior almost killed you both. Goodbye for now."

"That fucking bastard!" Souichi shouted once the door closed, "Why can't he just curl up and die somewhere? Fucking idiot…!" With a frustrated sigh, Souichi eased himself into the chair by the bed. "Hey, Angel…" Tetsuhiro's face remained turned away, "Angel, just look at me, OK?"

When his kouhai did look at him, the green eyes were shining with emotion. They were sorrowful, but another feeling seemed to flash behind the regret - anger. "I'm sorry," Tetsuhiro said brokenly, and Souichi found himself reaching out to place a hand on the side of his face.

"It's OK," the bespectacled man said, flexing his thumb to catch the single tear that escaped from Tetsuhiro's eye, "Don't listen to that guy. I told you he was a jerk, didn't I?"

"B- but if I had just…"

"I said don't worry about it! That guy just wants to feel like he's better than you," Souichi's hand slid up Tetsuhiro's face and brushed a few locks of soft hair away, "He's no better than a terrorist, making himself seem so important and using threats to force people to respect him… He disgusts me!"

"He's… not like you, Senpai…"

"What?" Souichi frowned a little, wondering what Tetsuhiro meant by that.

"Nakahara-san is driven by power… He has a strong will to prove himself, but I…" he sighed, looking away from Souichi and blushing slightly, "I think… you're more noble than he is…"

"Noble?" he was utterly confused now, but his kouhai nodded.

"You don't bully people like he does. You're a really nice guy…"

Souichi couldn't stop himself from raising an eyebrow and making a little 'tsk' noise. Tetsuhiro had called him nice before. He didn't see how the man could say that, considering that he practically had a daily punching quota. He couldn't even watch TV without shouting at someone, be they a real person or an image on the screen.

"Even though you're unhappy here," Tetsuhiro finally looked into Souichi's eyes; the green orbs were shining with tears again, "Even though I'm a failure to you, you still do your best…"

"You haven't failed me," Souichi said firmly, "It's not fair that we have to do this in the first place! I think we should start-" but he couldn't finish the sentence. He bit his tongue, still staring into Tetsuhiro's wide eyes. If he told him that he had been thinking of escaping, then what would that mean? Would Tetsuhiro be able to comprehend it? Would he go and tell the higher-ups, or would Hiroshi force it out of him? For all he knew, these people drilled Tetsuhiro after every conversation to spot insubordination on his part.

"Senpai?"

"I think," he said slowly, "we should start thinking more seriously about strategy and training. So this doesn't happen again."

"Yes, sir!" Tetsuhiro nodded, sitting up for the first time, "Senpai, I- I want you to know that I'll try harder! I won't let anything happen to you ever again!"

Souichi's eyes widened a little. _"So, he's still only thinking of me?" _he thought.

"I just want to keep you safe… so I'll work very hard! I'll become the best warrior here!"

"Tetsuhiro…"

"Huh?" the determined look rearranged into one of confusion, "Senpai, why do you keep calling me that? Is that… what you want to call me from now on?"

"…No…" Souichi sighed, "I just- er, it slipped out. That's all. It's nothing." He stood then, groaning when his hip protested, and grabbed his crutches. "Get some rest," he said, limping towards the door, "I'll be back to check on you later."

"OK…"

The long-haired man didn't look back as he made his way down the hall. He didn't want to think of that face any more. That hopeful expression, the determination radiating from him, all reminded him of the Tetsuhiro who once was. At times such as this, it was easy to forget where they were. It was easy to imagine that his Tetsuhiro was still the same idiot from before. _"I can't start thinking like that!" _he thought, irritated, _"I can't even tell him my feelings for being here! He's nothing more than a mindless drone who only wants to please me because it's his job! That's all!" _

Still, it was harder for him to believe himself than it had been a day ago.

XXXXX

"Hey, you made it!" Miroku's cheerful voice, ringing through the cafeteria, drilled into Souichi's head and gave him an instant pain. The annoying man was walking towards him, followed by Sachiko.

"Obviously," Souichi grumbled, dropping his chopsticks back into the bowl of plain rice. It had been the only thing he could stomach with the painkillers screwing up his digestion.

"Glad to see you're in one piece," Sachiko said as she took a seat across the table, "We heard you were ambushed."

"Yeah, it was pretty bad, I guess…"

"Pretty bad? Man, that was rotten!" Miroku plunked down next to him, "Whoever tipped them off is gonna get it! I had heard they caught a spy in the intelligence department, but I dunno if it's true."

"You were lucky to survive," Sachiko sighed, giving Souichi a piercing look, "Both of you… How is Angel?"

"He's fine now," Souichi answered, "They let him come back to our room this morning. He's almost completely healed now."

"That's the miracle of cybernetics!" Miroku said, "It's amazing, huh?"

"Hm."

"Because he is healed now," Sachiko cut in just as Miroku opened his mouth again, "I suppose he will continue training. Will you supervise him, in your condition?"

"Of course!" the injured man's temper flared a little, "You think I'd leave Nakahara alone with him?"

"No, I thought not."

"Maybe it'll motivate Angel," Miroku said, "You know, remind him of why he's training so hard!"

"He was motivated enough, idiot!" Souichi shouted, slamming down his cup of water and nearly crushing the Styrofoam.

"Uh… Sorry!"

"It's fine…" He gave Miroku and Sachiko critical looks, and then said, "I want to know something. The drive to protect the trainer… is that something that's programmed into them? The cyborgs, I mean."

"Hm?" Sachiko raised an eyebrow, "Well, yes. But it usually takes a while to develop. Though there are drugs controlling their behavior, emotions and trust still play a large part of it…"

"Yeah, it took a while for my Lily-chan to come to trust me," Miroku said, his eyes getting dewy, "But once she did, we became inseparable! She's so adorable and dedicated; I'd do anything for her!"

"Yes, we know already!" Souichi and Sachiko both said in unison, ignoring Miroku's subsequent and sheepish apology.

"It's true, though," Sachiko said, her tone serious, "It is something that is based on emotion. That's why it was such a shock to us all when Angel bonded with you so quickly… though since you knew him from before he came here, it makes sense."

Souichi thought deeply about her words. If it really was based more on emotion than on the drugs or training, then perhaps there was a chance for Tetsuhiro's revival. It was then that he began to hope, and to form a plan. If he could secretly wean Tetsuhiro off of the mind-controlling drugs, then would his memories come back? If not, then at least he'd be able to go against Takeda's commands. Perhaps he could even break them out of the place. Maybe Tetsuhiro himself was the key to their freedom.

XXXXX

TBC

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**Ugh, more indecisiveness on Souichi's part. He seems to be a really indecisive guy, though! Since chapter 6 of volume 7 came out, it seems truer than ever… -_-' I finally read it just now, and I just wanted to pull my hair out!**

**Oh, a few more things: First of all, I can't say when the next chapter will be out, since I haven't started it yet. But I can tell you that it's going to have more of the same drama, more Hiroshi being a douche, and more insight into Tetsuhiro's memories. However, I'm a little nervous about the plot of the next two chapters. If it gets too cheesy or cliché, then please let me know! I can always rewrite them. **

**Secondly, I'm thinking of doing a sequel. I won't discuss what it'll be about, since that would spoil the plot of the final chapters of this fic… But what do you think? I've never done a sequel before, and I'm not sure how well it would fit with this story… You can withhold your final opinions until the last chapter, but it's something to think about. **

**That's about it! I'm going to start Chapter 9 ASAP. I'm looking forward to writing it, since I seem to have an obsession with Souichi rescuing Tetsuhiro… lol What can I say? It's a quirk! **


	9. Shutdown

**Notes: OK, a quick note about Tetsuhiro's eye color… When I watched the OVA, I noticed that they seemed to be an olive green. So, I thought that they were green. I've mentioned this color in this fic several times. Then I noticed that they were more like a dark gray in the manga… I feel like an idiot! ^^; Anyway, thanks so much, reviewers! Thanks to anyone who's reading this, too! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you, because I was sort of worried about the plot here… Well, let me know what you think! If it's too cheesy, then I apologize! **

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Chapter 9: Shutdown

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_Ugh… What a night. I wake up in darkness, and the slim lines of light coming in through the bars on the tiny window show me that I'm still in this hellhole. Getting up off of the hard cot, I walk to the door and look out. No guards. What kind of jail is this, anyway?_

_The lights come on. The blinding whiteness of the entire place makes me squint. Maybe now I'll be able to talk to a guard, tell them that this is all a mistake. Hell, maybe they'll release me soon anyway. Maybe they already found the real robber. I hope so. Senpai must be worried; they didn't even let me call him! It's so not fair… _

_I don't have to wait long for a guard to show up. He doesn't say anything; just opens the door and motions for me to follow him. "When can I get out of here?" I ask, but he ignores me. Shrugging my shoulders, I follow him down the long corridor. _

_Something tells me that this isn't right. I shouldn't follow him. When we enter a small room that looks like a doctor's examination room, complete with white-coated doctor, I know that something's wrong. The doctor doesn't say anything to me, either. Just points to the examination table. _

_By now, I'm screaming at myself that this is way wrong. "Don't do it!" I think to myself, but my body doesn't follow. It's like I'm watching myself do all of this, without really doing it. I hear myself ask more questions, but I don't feel like I'm speaking. The doctor's saying something now; I can't make it out. This is so weird… _

_Suddenly, I'm brought back to my body again. Only now, I'm lying on the table while a group of people in white coats lean over me. "What are you doing?" I ask, though like before, I can't feel myself speak. I just hear myself. The doctors - or whoever they are - keep looking at me, muttering to themselves. Then they pull out the needle. _

_I think I'm starting to panic, because now I'm sure I'm dreaming. I'm also sure that I know what comes next. Guards come into the room, holding me down as I start to freak out. I can't help it, though! They're coming closer with that needle, and I'm about to become a human guinea pig. They keep talking about experimental procedures and cybernetic enhancements. What the hell is this? Part of me, the part that's currently trying to punch one of the guards, doesn't know. The other part of me, the part that's watching and experiencing all of this, does know. My breath is coming in shallow gasps, my heart hammering wildly against my chest. I think I'm going to pass out with the pressure of the blood rushing through me. _

_When the needle finds its mark, I scream. I call out for Senpai. But it's too late. Senpai isn't here, and he won't come for me. Still, I have to keep calling. I have to believe he'll find me, or that I'll escape this place! I just have to remember that he's waiting for me, and I'll find a way back to him! "Senpai!" I call again, as the scientists begin to operate. They pull my clothing off of me, cover me with what looks like blue tissue paper, and rub antiseptic onto my chest. Then I feel the numb pressure of the knife, and I nearly lose my mind with the panic. _

XXXXX

"Souichi!" The scream tore him from sleep. Heart racing, Souichi sat bolt upright in bed, looking around in a panic. He then realized that his wasn't the only panting breath in the room. Looking over at Tetsuhiro's bed, he saw the man sitting up in bed, shaking and looking down at his hands.

"Tets- Angel," Souichi said inquiringly, leaning over a bit and squinting his eyes to better his blurry vision, "What is it? You-" he suddenly gasped, realizing what had just been said. Tetsuhiro had just called out his first name.

"Senpai…" Tetsuhiro looked at him, eyes wide.

"You just said…"

"What?"

Souichi gulped, putting his glasses on and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "You just said 'Souichi', didn't you?"

"Did I?" Tetsuhiro seemed a bit confused.

"That's my first name," the bespectacled man said hopefully, "Do you remember it?"

"But you've never told me that," Tetsuhiro said, "They said you weren't allowed to tell me, didn't they? I overheard…"

"So, you don't remember…" Souichi sighed, a bit disappointed, "But you just said it… Angel, were you… dreaming just now?"

"I think so…" he looked down again, his expression troubled, "I don't remember… I just felt afraid…"

"Afraid? Hmm… Wonder what you were dreaming…"

"I really don't remember."

"That's OK," Souichi said, pushing Tetsuhiro a little on the shoulder so that he lay down again, "Go back to sleep." Tetsuhiro did as he was told, closing his eyes and soon falling into a deep sleep. Souichi, though, couldn't sleep. He sat up for a while, one hand on his still-aching hip, and stared at Tetsuhiro. It had already been two weeks since the botched mission, and almost that amount of time since Souichi had implemented his plan.

Every evening, a scientist came around to administer various drugs. These were the chemicals that kept Tetsuhiro's immune system from fighting the cybernetic implants, and that accelerated the repair of any muscle damage sustained during training. One chemical also kept Tetsuhiro's mind in a receptive state, suppressing his memories and making him complacent. It was this drug that Souichi had begun to mess with. Every evening when the doctor came, he would first give Tetsuhiro a quick checkup, as he did with all of the cyborg subjects. While the doctor was distracted, Souichi picked up the syringe and squeezed some of the liquid out.

He only pushed out a few drops at first, but lately he had been reducing the dosage of the drug by 1 milliliter. He dared not draw out too much at first, and he increased the amount he drained very slightly each time. He didn't want to be caught, or to cause some unforeseen side effect in Tetsuhiro's body.

Now it appeared as if it were working. Tetsuhiro had dreamed about the past, possibly about his capture. He had called out Souichi's name. After two weeks of reducing the drug dosage slowly, he was finally seeing some results. With a small smile and a fond look at Tetsuhiro, Souichi lay back down and set his glasses back onto the bedside table. It was a small sign, but it was definitely a hopeful thing.

XXXXX

Lunch that next day was leisurely. It was Sunday, and teams one and three had just completed a successful mission. Miroku was happy to tell everyone about it, bragging loudly about how Lily had managed to stop three armored guards and corner the yakuza boss who had tried to escape.

"I was only doing what I was told!" the little girl giggled, though she was obviously pleased with herself.

"And you did great!" Miroku said, patting her head affectionately.

"They really are like brother and sister," Mira said, making a show of whispering to Lee but speaking loudly enough to be heard by all, "They're both so irritating!"

This got a few laughs, and even Lee and Souichi flicked half-smiles. "That's not nice!" Lily stuck her tongue out at the older girl, but she laughed nonetheless.

"Senpai, I'm going to go back to our room, OK?" Tetsuhiro said once Souichi had turned his attention away from Miroku and Lily's showboating.

"We have training in a little while," Souichi reminded him.

"But I don't feel like it!" Tetsuhiro whined, making a pouting face and resting his head on the table, "We just got done training! Can't we go back to our room? I'm a little tired."

"No, we have to go train for at least an hour," Souichi said, but he was pleased, even as Tetsuhiro gave another groan. This was the first time in a long time that Tetsuhiro had argued with him, even a little, about anything. He almost smiled. His plan was definitely working. However, he couldn't help but notice Sachiko and Lee looking curiously at him. He darted his eyes away from them quickly, looking down at his plate in his best "I'm not doing anything suspicious at all" manner. The other two weren't convinced, judging by the way they kept looking at him.

Souichi avoided speaking to either of them as the four teams made their way to the training grounds. "We'll run through some basic warm-ups as a group," Sachiko announced once the warriors were lined up in the yard, "Then it's target practice. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" four eager trainees answered, Falcon squaring his shoulders and puffing out his chest. It was well known that he liked it when Sachiko gave orders; it made him feel important, like her right-hand man.

The four began their warm-ups while the trainers followed suit. "A trainer gets nowhere by being a couch potato!" was Miroku's favorite saying, at least on some days. Therefore, Souichi began the exercises as he always did. He found them very useful, actually; he had already begun to feel a difference in his health. It would come in handy during his escape attempt, he thought. It was also something that helped him work off stress, so he was grateful for that. He still couldn't do so much because of his wound, but he managed to do some light stretching for his arms and legs. Today's weather was perfect, and the exercises made him appreciate the cool breeze even more. It was really shaping up to be a good day.

That mood was shattered when Hiroshi showed up.

As soon as the man came into the yard, Souichi scowled. Suddenly, the breeze didn't seem so fresh anymore. The warm sunlight became irritating, and even the birds singing in the trees started to get on his nerves. He couldn't help but think that the man was like poison; he polluted every place he went, every person he spoke to.

"I see you're being just as laid-back as you can be," the formally-dressed man said, speaking more to Souichi than to the others, "It's already afternoon, and you're still warming up?"

"We just finished lunch," Miroku said defensively, stopping in mid-jump and only completing half of a jumping jack.

"I see. Lazy **and **gluttonous," Hiroshi chuckled at himself, no doubt thinking it was a clever thing to say. Souichi had to disagree. "How is my Angel doing?" he asked, stepping towards Souichi, "Just as lazy as you? Or has he actually managed to take initiative?"

"He's just fine," Souichi said curtly.

"I'll see for myself," Hiroshi turned towards the yard, where the four cyborgs were jogging around the track, "There he is… Hey, Angel! Move it, already! Actually run, don't just prance around the track!"

"There you go again, spouting that crap!" Souichi growled, but both men were surprised when Tetsuhiro actually called back.

"I'm doing just fine, thanks!" came the sarcastic reply, and Souichi and Hiroshi both dropped their jaws.

"What's he talking like that for?" Hiroshi spat, then stepped forward as Tetsuhiro came around the curve. He reached out and grabbed Tetsuhiro by the arm, jerking him to the side and slamming his hand into the younger man's face, "Since when do you talk back to your superiors?"

Whatever effect the lower dosage was having on Tetsuhiro, it obviously wasn't enough to keep him from submitting. He instantly lowered his eyes, ignoring his stinging cheek. "I- I'm sorry," he said, sounding every bit as sorry as he said he was and a little confused as well, "I- I just… I don't know where that came from… I didn't mean…"

Souichi felt rage building inside of him. He stepped forward, but was taken aback when Hiroshi turned to him and let Tetsuhiro go.

"You should know better than to train him to talk back," he said, the last traces of anger fading from him, "He's supposed to learn to obey."

"I didn't teach him that!" Souichi said, refraining from hitting the man.

"You must have," Hiroshi said, "You're his trainer, remember? I'm not around so much anymore, so it's your responsibility… right?"

Souichi didn't answer; he just walked over and put himself between Hiroshi and Tetsuhiro. The other cyborgs had stopped running, and the other trainers were looking on. None of them said a thing. They knew that Souichi wouldn't appreciate the support of their comments; rather, he would take offense at their meddling. He was grateful that they seemed to sense that much.

"Maybe you're not up for the challenge," Hiroshi continued, his voice silky smooth and insidious, working his venomous charm into every syllable, "Maybe I should just have you thrown out of the organization now. Maybe I should take Angel back?"

Souichi clenched his jaw. Send him away? He couldn't do such a thing. Souichi knew very well that Hiroshi had no power in the organization. There was no way that Hiroshi could do such a thing. His tone dripping with sarcasm, Souichi said, "Go ahead! I'd **love **to get out of here, so just take 'Angel' and leave me be! I'll just waltz out of here, all perky and peppy, and forget all about him!"

He knew that his words would have an effect on Hiroshi, but the reaction he got was very different than the one he expected. He expected an angered scowl, even if he didn't win the round and it continued. Or perhaps there would be a nonchalant shrug, or a skeptic quirk of the eyebrow. He didn't expect to see Hiroshi smile. "Fine, then," Hiroshi said, "You may just get what you want after all." Souichi glared at him, taken off guard for a minute. Then he realized that Hiroshi wasn't looking at him.

He followed the man's gaze, turning around to look behind him. Tetsuhiro was still standing there, like Souichi expected. His expression, though, was very troubling. He was just… blank. A shudder ran up Souichi's spine when he looked his kouhai in the eye. They were absolutely blank, and held wide open in a stare that seemed to look past everything around him. It seemed as if he were staring into nothing. His mouth was slightly open, and his head was tilted to the side a little. Souichi couldn't make his own mouth work; he wanted to say his kouhai's name, perhaps to call him back to his senses, but he couldn't. That blank stare scared him more than anything had so far.

Slowly, shakily, Tetsuhiro sank to his knees. By now, the others had apparently caught on to what was happening. Lee rushed forward and punched Hiroshi in the nose. "You evoked that response on purpose," the Chinese man said, glaring down at Hiroshi, who was sprawled on the ground and looked absolutely shocked, "You have no right to do that."

The others were silent as Souichi walked towards Tetsuhiro and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Angel?" he said tentatively, but there was no response.

"We have to get him to the infirmary," Sachiko said, walking over to help Falcon lift Tetsuhiro onto his feet. Lee took her place, and he and Falcon began walking towards the building, supporting Tetsuhiro's nearly limp body between them. Souichi followed, his heart pounding, unsure of what had happened and worried about what would happen next. Hiroshi just sat on the ground, smirking.

XXXXX

TBC

XXXXX

**Ugh, I just thought this part of the story was so cheesy… The next chapter's even cheesier, but I have to finish it! This plot bunny just won't let go, and maybe I can reach my goal of finishing a fic that's more than five chapters long! **


	10. Awakening

**Notes: Thanks, ScissorMirror! Your review pushed production of this chapter up; I had really been feeling awkward about the dramatic parts! Amy-sama10, I just now read your review, and thanks for reading! I know I just posted this morning, but here's chapter 10 already! Eh, I was inspired. This chapter… I guess you could sort of see it as a mini-climax in a way, but there are still three more chapters to go... SO, without further ado, enjoy! **

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Chapter 10: Awakening

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There were so many tiles. They stretched all across the ceiling, white squares of porous material, each one connected to the other in a way that left only a faint crack between them. Souichi had been staring at those tiles for what felt like ages. The other trainers and their students had already gone. They sensed his need to be alone, though Miroku and Lily had been reluctant to leave. Only Lee remained.

"What happened?" Souichi finally asked, and it seemed as if the man sitting across from him in the small room had been waiting for him to say it.

"You know all about the effects that the drugs have on their psyches," Lee said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his chin on his folded hands, "They are conditioned to obey every command, and to be loyal to their trainers. Angel is no different, though I suspect you have been tampering with the dosage."

Souichi didn't reply; he just looked down at the floor.

"I thought as much," Lee sighed, "It was a clever trick, but they would have found you out anyway. About what happened just now… The lowered dosage may or may not affect the outcome of it all. As I said, Angel has been conditioned to be loyal to you. And it seemed as if he was already loyal to you, right from the start. Correct?"

"Yeah…" he nearly flinched. Lee was right; Tetsuhiro had always been loyal. He had always been there for him, no matter what.

"He must have really valued you," Lee continued, "to choose you like he did, and to have this strong of a reaction to your words."

"I know this is because of what I said," Souichi sighed, "But why this? Why did he just…"

"Because of how loyal he is to you. The students are trained to bond with one person. It is an asset when on a mission, and it keeps loyalty to the company itself strong. However…" he leaned back again, "it also has a large drawback. It has never happened before in real life, but tests show that once a trainer has died, or decided to disown his student, the student shuts down. That loyalty, depending on the relationship between the trainer and the student, causes the cyborg to cease functioning properly if the owner ever leaves. When you said that, even though it was meant as sarcasm, Angel essentially shut down. He closed in on himself."

"They can bring him back, right?" Souichi motioned towards the door to his right, where doctors had taken Tetsuhiro almost an hour ago, "What if I just explain it to him? Can't I just apologize?"

"The tests on this matter concluded that it's very hard to bring a student out of that state once he's in it," Lee said. His usual businesslike manner was softened somewhat; he seemed like a doctor giving bad news to a bereaved family member, "The only way that it can be done is to start the conditioning process over again."

"But that means…" Souichi looked up, eyes wide.

"Yes, it means that they may have to erase all of his memories again, including the memories of the past few months. I can't say whether or not they will, but it was the only way they found when they tested this several years ago. Even then, it's not a guarantee…"

"What do you mean?"

"The side effects of the drugs are… not pleasant," Lee grimaced a little despite his determination to keep a calm face, "They've managed to minimize the risks, but to repeat the process over again just reverses that. They include mood alteration, short-term memory loss, shortened lifespan, and chronic headaches."

"What do you mean by 'memory loss' and 'shortened lifespan'?" Souichi asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"The subject becomes forgetful," Lee said, and a shadow crossed his face for a moment, "It happened to the one they tested it on… She became withdrawn, sometimes unable to communicate properly. She began to forget simple things, even the name of her trainer. Gradually, it got worse. Her headaches increased in frequency and intensity, until the pain affected her whole body."

Souichi gulped, thinking of Tetsuhiro in the same situation. It was too terrifying to comprehend.

"Eventually… she just shut down completely. She could no longer move or talk, and finally she stopped breathing on her own. They tried to revive her, but nothing they did worked. It was the combination of chemicals in her system; they were poisoning her brain, stifling it until she could no longer survive. She died only a year after she was re-conditioned…"

"All of those enhancements, meant to make the body stronger…" Souichi muttered, "What's the point if it's just going to kill them?"

"It's because they are little more than weapons to the organization," Lee said, pain evident in his voice. Souichi wondered what had brought this man here. Why were any of them, Miroku and Sachiko and Lee, here at all? Did they truly believe in the organization's cause? He thought about asking.

That was when the door opened, and a doctor came out. "He's beginning to come out of it," the doctor announced, "It looks like it was a false alarm; his mind seems less resistant to reasoning than we thought it would be."

"Thank God…" Souichi couldn't stop himself from muttering, heaving a sigh of relief.

"He's not out of the red zone yet, though" she cautioned, "You should take him back to his room and try to talk to him. If he doesn't snap out of it by tomorrow, then we'll have another look at him. We may have to IV him; there's a danger that he could dehydrate or starve."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course," she left momentarily, returning with Tetsuhiro. She had to lead him by the arm. He was walking on his own, but his steps were unsteady and his gaze still unfocused. Souichi could see adhesive strips on his arm; they had apparently already given him another dose of the drugs. "Take him back, now. Just let him rest, and try to talk to him. If it works, he should be back to normal soon."

"Good," someone else called into the room, and the three turned to see Hiroshi walk in.

"You bastard!" Souichi immediately ran forward before Lee or the doctor could stop him, "You knew this would happen! You made me say that!" he shouted.

"How could I have made you say something?" Hiroshi asked, outwardly the picture of serenity, "Unless you're telling me that you're easy to manipulate. Are you?" he had to dodge as Souichi lunged for him, and the two ended up grappling, pushing each other and each trying to gain the upper hand.

The scuffle didn't last long, though. Just as Hiroshi was pushing Souichi to his knees, just before Lee stepped forward to intervene, Tetsuhiro was there. Souichi hadn't even seen him move. He was just standing there, and suddenly the pressure was gone. Hiroshi was on the other side of the room, thrown directly into a row of chairs and a coffee table. The flimsy particle board table cracked, and Hiroshi was groaning in pain. The doctor shrieked, rushing forward to help him. Lee just raised an eyebrow.

Souichi stared up at Tetsuhiro, who just stood there. His expression hadn't changed a bit. As he stood up, he glanced over at Lee. The Chinese man was smiling a little.

XXXXX

Getting back to their room had been uncomfortable, to say the least. He had had to practically drag Tetsuhiro all the way, and had struggled to find things to say during the walk. He commented on things that he normally wouldn't have noticed. "They must have just mopped the floor; it smells like lemons in here," "That Miroku really is an idiot, huh?" "What do you think they're serving for dinner tonight?" None of his comments had gotten any response from Tetsuhiro.

Now the cyborg was sitting on his bed, staring into space with the same expression. Souichi was getting frustrated. "Look, the paint's chipping here," he said, pointing to a spot on the wall that wasn't particularly chipped at all, "We should tell them to repair it." Nothing; no acknowledgement that he had been heard at all. "Angel, just snap out of it already," Souichi sighed, sitting in front of him on the bed, "I'll even have sex with you, if it'll wipe that stupid look off of your face…"

No response.

"Don't you want to do that?" Souichi asked, a little desperate now, "You used to be such a horn dog… Always sniffing around me, begging for sex… Begging for affection…!" his eyes widened. Had he just said 'affection'? He hadn't meant to say it, but now that he thought about it, wasn't it true? The Tetsuhiro he knew was always seeking his approval, always striving to impress him. Even during sex, hadn't he always said that he'd do whatever made him happy? He had always done everything he could to make Souichi feel good, feel loved, even if he hadn't wanted it. Even if he resisted…

Even when he refused to reciprocate…

His stomach lurched. _"He's always been like this!" _he thought, staring at Tetsuhiro through a swirl of emotions that were surfacing. He felt like a little door was opening up inside of him. _"Even though I told him I'm not gay… Even when I belittled and hurt him… he has always done everything for me…" _He recalled the way it felt to be trapped beneath his kouhai. The way his hands would run up his sides. The way Tetsuhiro would pound into him, reaching further and further… reaching for his very soul, begging for Souichi to reach back.

"You were always begging me for my love," Souichi muttered, his topaz eyes beginning to shine with unshed tears, "You never lied to me; you always meant every word you said! And I…" the olive eyes were still blank, unmoved. However, at the moment, Souichi saw past the clouded gaze. He saw into Tetsuhiro's mind; he saw the real Tetsuhiro. "You haven't been obeying me these past weeks because of what they did to you," he nearly cried out, seizing Tetsuhiro by the shoulders. He barely noticed that Tetsuhiro's eyes widened by just a fraction. "You've been following me… been trying to please me…"

He reached around and pulled Tetsuhiro closer to him, pressing himself to the taller man and resting his forehead on his kouhai's. "…all of that…" he whispered, "not because of what they did… but **despite **what they did…"

The blank stare didn't change, but Tetsuhiro's mouth opened just a little. It looked as if he wanted to speak, but couldn't.

"Despite all of that, you still…" a tear escaped, running down Souichi's cheek, "…you resisted as much as you could… You have always been like this, too…"

Tetsuhiro blinked once, and then remained as still as ever.

"Tetsuhiro…" Souichi's lips shook, then he leaned forward and pressed them to his kouhai's slack mouth. It felt so good! It was like a jolt of electricity, leaving a burning sensation that seized him all over. He closed his eyes, plunging his tongue into the warm mouth, and was shocked when his kouhai reached up to hug him. Tetsuhiro's eyes were closed when Souichi opened his. He broke the kiss, and his kouhai was slow to open his eyes again. There was a spark of life in them, something that made Souichi suddenly crush Tetsuhiro to him, holding him as if his life depended on it.

"Come back to me," he pleaded softly, "Tetsuhiro, please… I get it now. I get it! I- I love you… I love you so much…"

"Sen… pai…" Souichi gasped when he heard the soft voice, barely a whisper at all.

"Tetsuhiro…" Souichi reached up to cup that soft face in his hands, remembering the time he had done so at the Matsuda's house. Tetsuhiro had been crying then, remembering the pain of his parents' rejection in light of Souichi's father's acceptance of Tomoe's relationship. Had there been something else to that, too? Had he also been crying because of Souichi's rejection? "Don't leave me, Angel…"

"Senpai…" though still clouded and slightly unfocused, Tetsuhiro's eyes had lost the dullness they had just sported. They had looked dead, but now at least he looked like a living human being.

"You…" Souichi couldn't quite find his voice.

"Senpai, you won't…" Tetsuhiro's voice was low, monotone, but he was speaking, "you won't abandon me… will you?"

"Of course not!" Souichi pulled him close again, unaware that he was rocking slightly, cradling Tetsuhiro's head to his chest, "I was being sarcastic… I didn't mean any of that!"

"You want me?"

"I do…" it took a moment to register what Tetsuhiro had meant by that, but Souichi didn't really care. He wanted Tetsuhiro then, in every possible way.

"I'm not… a failure…?"

"No, you're not," Souichi stroked his hair, smiling a little when Tetsuhiro cuddled closer to him, "I'm the failure… I don't know why it took something like this to make me see how much I love you…"

"Senpai…"

"Ssh," Souichi continued rocking and stroking the man's hair, "Go to sleep now; you probably have to sleep off those drugs they gave you… Don't worry about anything. I'll get us out of here." He looked down again at his kouhai, determination swelling inside of him, "My plan's going to work," he said, "Just wait. Wait a little longer. I'll bring you back, and we'll be out of here in no time… And when we escape…" his arms tightened around Tetsuhiro slightly, though he was already asleep, "When we escape, I'm gonna kill that Hiroshi guy…"

XXXXX

TBC

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**Well, more cheesiness! ^^; I just had to write this scene, because I'm so frustrated with the way the manga's going! **

**OH! OHOHOH! OMG, by the way, has anyone read the spin-off AU story that Takanaga-sensei did? I read it on Mangafox last night. It's so cute, and so emotionally satisfying after all the turmoil in the main manga! It's called "Koisuru Boukun: Aru Hi, Mori no Naka ." Read it! Now! **


	11. The Trap

**Notes: Chapter 11 is finally done! For a while, I was afraid that I wouldn't finish it, but ScissorMirror and wastedaddiction spurred me on like they always do! Thanks so much, guys! This chapter is a little longer than the other chapters, and it's got a long action scene, so I hope it's not boring or anything! I always feel uncomfortable with action, even more so than drama. ^^; After this, there are still two more chapters to go, but I'm getting anxious to finish it… Anyway, thanks to my readers, and I hope you enjoy it! **

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Chapter 11: The Trap

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It was an amazing thing, the human mind. It could withstand so much, yet it was easily broken. Still, even when forced through some trauma, some minds were resilient enough to persevere. Tetsuhiro was one of those people who seemed to have such a resiliency. Souichi wondered why he had never contemplated his kouhai like this before. He had never seen the strength that was now helping him to recover from the incident of three days ago.

"_He's still a filthy pervert…" _he thought, resting his chin on his hand and watching as Tetsuhiro jogged around the track with the others, _"Actually, though… I'm starting to miss that aspect of him… It's been a LONG time since I last thought about sex…" _the thought made him blush, _"I guess I should just get used to thinking like that, though… I did just confess to him, so I guess we're really in a relationship now…" _

Part of Souichi wanted to pretend that it hadn't happened. That small part of him still wished that he could deny his new relationship, and the connotations that it brought up about his sexuality. That part of him still fervently denied that he was gay. It was hard to think like that, though. The events of three days ago still played over and over in his mind. That blank stare, those haunted eyes, still watched him in his dreams. Even now, Tetsuhiro was still showing signs of his brush with total mental shutdown. Because of the heavy dose of drugs he had received, he was still acting a bit zombie-like.

He was recovering, though, and Souichi was very glad of it. The doctors remarked about how quickly the drugs seemed to work their way out of Tetsuhiro's system, but Souichi knew better. He had gone back to decreasing the doses the other day. He wanted Tetsuhiro to be back to normal as soon as possible, so that they could escape and so he could finally have his kouhai back. Any other questions he had - about his own sexuality, about their relationship - would have to wait, particularly now. Now he had to prepare for a mission briefing.

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"This is a big one," Takeda was in good form that day, his voice stern yet somewhat excited, obviously as pumped about the mission as a stoic businessman could be, "We've received word of an anonymous threat called in to the Morimura Electric Company. The nature of the call suggests that it's a little-known terrorist group who has recently been causing trouble for the company and its associates. Just last year, they actually stormed the office building and killed twenty people, injuring many more. We can't let such vicious criminals strike again."

Souichi crossed his arms, huffing a little. He normally didn't care for the SITE's activities, since he had been forced to be a part of them. However, he couldn't deny that criminals like that should be dealt with. He had always supported the efforts of Japan's law enforcement; he had just never thought he'd be one of them.

"I'm sending all teams to the power company, to scour the plant and make sure it's secure. If you see anyone acting suspiciously, you are to keep on them like fleas on a mongrel. Take them out as soon as it's confirmed that they are armed. These people are experts at infiltration, but you should be better. They also tend to travel in groups, but of course, I think each of you can handle that…" he gave a slight smile to the four students, "You will report to the plant in four hours' time. Any questions? … Then move out!"

The eight other people in the room stood, ready to go. However, Takeda called Souichi to remain for a moment. He did, a little growl of irritation escaping him, but a bit glad to see that Tetsuhiro remained, as well. "What?" he asked crossly, quirking an eyebrow at the man behind the desk.

"I want to let you know that I'm sending Nakahara with you," Takeda said, not even flinching when Souichi's fist slammed his desk.

"No way we're going with that guy!" the long-haired man shouted, "You remember what he almost did to my angel!" His eyes widened when he realized what he'd just said, and his face turned bright red. Takeda didn't seem to notice.

"I understand your feelings," Takeda sighed, "but I'm still sending him. You didn't handle your last mission very well; I believe you have only recently made a full recovery?"

"Yeah…" Souichi grumbled, though still feeling the pain in his side. It still hurt occasionally, but he would be damned if he was going to admit it and possibly be forced to stay behind as Hiroshi said and did God-only-knew-what to Tetsuhiro.

"You are inexperienced as a spy, and in combat. The only way to gain experience is, of course, to actually go on missions. However, it would be a good idea to send Nakahara with you, just to guide you on what to do. He can also help you give commands to your cyborg."

"_He has a name, you idiot," _Souichi thought, but bit his tongue. He would definitely be left behind if he mouthed off to the boss.

"I won't hear another word about it. You're dismissed." Takeda went back to sorting through the papers on his desk, and Souichi left the office without a word, Tetsuhiro trailing behind him.

"That bastard…" Souichi mumbled as they walked down the hallway, "Listen, Tetsuhiro," he had also resolved to use his real name whenever possible, "That Nakahara guy may have to tag along with us, but don't you listen to a word he says! Got it?"

"Of course," Tetsuhiro said, his tone almost cheerful and sounding much more spirited than it had in a while, "I only listen to you, Senpai."

"Good," the older man sighed, running a hand through his bangs, "When we get there, don't let him intimidate you. He may have been your trainer earlier, but you're mine now…" again, he blushed. He wondered why he kept slipping up and saying things like that.

Tetsuhiro didn't reply, but he smiled a little.

"What?" he asked, "What's with that look?"

"I just… like it when you say that, Senpai," Tetsuhiro said, and he really did sound as happy as he could be, "I like… belonging to you…"

"S- stop saying things like that…" Souichi looked down, blushing even more. He hated the connotations of those words; it felt like he was taking advantage of an innocent, controlling him or owning him like some sort of master. And yet, at the same time, it felt right. It was almost as if Tetsuhiro were saying that he liked being his boyfriend. His lover. Didn't lovers essentially belong to each other?

Again, he forced his mind back on track. They had a mission, and a rather unpleasant car ride ahead of them. It was true that Souichi was a bit nervous about the mission itself. He wasn't a soldier or a spy, just as Takeda had said. He had never even been very good at combat video games. If he managed to fell even one enemy, that would be fantastic. If he managed to stay alive, it would be wonderful.

If he managed to keep from strangling Hiroshi, it would be a miracle.

XXXXX

The mission started out tensely. They arrived in secret at the power plant, which was deserted already. It was midnight, and they had to light flashlights in order to see. Turning on the lights would have alerted anyone else in the building to their presence. Lee and Mira took the south side of the building, where the main entrance was. Sachiko and Falcon took the north side so they could guard the much larger service entrance for trucks and heavy equipment. Miroku and Lily were stationed at the elevators leading to the upper floors. That left the lower floor to Souichi, Tetsuhiro, and Hiroshi.

"We'll head to the engine room," Hiroshi said, not giving Souichi a chance to take charge, "If they're going to set a bomb or something, that'll be where they put it."

"Of course you'd know something like that…" Souichi mumbled, but Hiroshi apparently didn't hear him. If he did, he was too lost in thought to respond. Holding flashlights so they could see, the three walked down a flight of stairs from the side entrance, going deeper until they arrived at the basement level. From the stairwell, they entered a wide hallway that led straight to the engine room.

"Angel, go check the rooms to the side. They should just be storage rooms, but make sure nobody's hiding there," Hiroshi commanded.

Tetsuhiro didn't move.

"Did you hear me?" Hiroshi turned to him, his fist clenching.

"Go check them," Souichi said, and smirked at Hiroshi when Tetsuhiro immediately ran into the nearest room, gun drawn and stance alert.

Once again, Hiroshi surprised Souichi with his reaction. He didn't say anything, only turning away with a shrug and proceeding towards the door at the end of the hall. Souichi followed, glancing back as Tetsuhiro crossed the hall behind them to check the next room.

The engine room was very large and very noisy. The flashlight beams revealed a large generator; Souichi assumed that it was busy providing power to the surrounding area, but he wasn't really sure of its purpose. The roar of it was almost deafening. He barely heard the door close behind him, and he didn't hear the click of Hiroshi's handgun as it was taken off of safety mode.

He felt it between his shoulder blades a second later.

Whirling around, Souichi found himself tossed a few feet away when a fist hit his jaw. He looked up to see Hiroshi pointing the gun at him with one hand while the other slid up the wall and out of the beam of light that was trained on him. A second later, the lights came on in the large room.

"What the fuck to you think you're doing?" Souichi shouted, partially out of anger and panic, and partially to be heard over the roar of the generator.

"Getting rid of you," Hiroshi replied just as loudly, "I'm really going to enjoy this…" He pulled the trigger, but Souichi gathered his wits in just enough time to roll out of the way. The bullet ricocheted off of the concrete floor, leaving a small chipped area behind. Before Hiroshi could squeeze off another round, and before Souichi could dodge it, the door flew open and Tetsuhiro rushed in, slamming into Hiroshi's back and pinning him down easily.

"Keep him down," Souichi said, though he knew that Tetsuhiro was way ahead of him. He was trying to get the gun from the struggling man beneath him, and succeeded only after squeezing his wrist so hard it almost cracked. Once he had the gun in his hand, Tetsuhiro crushed it just as easily as if he had been holding a paper cup.

The struggle had been brief, but Souichi's heart was pounding. "You're screwed now," Souichi said, walking closer and trying to cover up his fear, "What the hell were you thinking, doing that just because I usurped your position? Can't you find another student, and just let Tetsuhiro stay with me?"

"Heh… You think that's what it was about?" Hiroshi panted, struggling to breathe with Tetsuhiro's knee pressing down on his back, "This had nothing much to do with him. I want you gone because you're jeopardizing my goals!"

"What would those be?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Tetsuhiro," Souichi said, and that was all his kouhai needed to hear. As soon as he had heard his senpai speak, he began to press harder, making Hiroshi gasp and groan as he was pushed further into the cold, hard floor.

"I- I wanted to take ov- over the organization!" he choked out, "I needed- ah! Stop!" Panting with relief when the pressure stopped, Hiroshi spoke again, "I needed to get you out of the way… You're a threat to the company. I know what you've been doing! Y- you've been planning to escape, and trying to get Angel back to his former self… I can't let you do that, because that would endanger the whole operation."

"So you led me here in the hopes of killing me?" Souichi raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know what else to do," Hiroshi's voice was bitter, "That fool Takeda should have killed you from the beginning! I tried, on your first mission…"

"You were the one who ratted us out?" Souichi stalked forward and knelt down, grabbing a handful of dark hair and yanking it to force Hiroshi to look up at him.

"Ah! Y- yeah… I framed that guy from Intelligence, so I got away with it… But then you survived! Angel's reflexes were better than I had thought… He had been so useless when I was training him, I thought you'd be dead in minutes with him as your backup…"

"Guess you were wrong," Souichi said mockingly, and with a touch of pride.

"No shit," Hiroshi grumbled, "After that, I thought that if I could make you somehow disown him, you'd be killed and I wouldn't have to worry about you anymore. But somehow he managed to snap out of it."

"Tough luck," Souichi made a 'tsk' noise, and then stood up, "And tough for you that you've told me all of this. I don't think Takeda will like to hear it."

"Oh, I don't mind telling you," Hiroshi said, smirking, "It's the least I could do before you die…"

"What…?" Souichi frowned, backing away as he stared down at the man. Something wasn't right; he must have been crazy to think he could overpower Tetsuhiro's cybernetic body.

Apparently, he could. He suddenly wrenched his right hand free of Tetsuhiro's grasp, reached behind him, and pushed the slightly smaller man off of him. Tetsuhiro ended up flat on his back, wide-eyed in shock, and Hiroshi leapt off of the floor and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifting him with ease.

"A neat trick, huh?" he smirked, glancing over at Souichi as he held Tetsuhiro high off the ground, ignoring the kicks and punches he was receiving, "A while ago I paid off some of our scientists to modify my body. They did a good job."

"Let him go!" Souichi shouted, rushing forward and punching Hiroshi in the back. Obviously, the enhancements were not included in every part of his body. The blow made him stagger forward, and he dropped Tetsuhiro, who kicked him in the stomach. Feeling immensely satisfied with each blow, Souichi and Tetsuhiro proceeded to pound Hiroshi wherever they saw an opening.

It didn't faze him too much, though. After trying to shield himself, he reached out and delivered a hard punch to Souichi's left hip. Crying out in pain, Souichi staggered back and fell to the ground, clutching his old wound.

That was when Tetsuhiro went ballistic. With a cry of rage, he threw himself into Hiroshi, butting him like a battering ram and sending the larger man sprawling on the ground. Hiroshi was already bleeding from his nose and several bruises were forming all over his body, but he kept fighting back. The two rolled on the floor a bit, Hiroshi defending himself with his metal arm as Tetsuhiro tried to bash his head in. Then Hiroshi gained the upper hand, and pinned Tetsuhiro to the floor with all of his strength. Tetsuhiro kicked at him, clawed at him, but he couldn't get control again.

Souichi was just now standing up shakily, and he reached for his gun. He had never killed anyone, but now he just wanted this to end before he or Tetsuhiro got hurt any more, or even got killed themselves. He aimed the weapon at Hiroshi's head, but Hiroshi suddenly rolled so that Tetsuhiro was on top of him. Caught off guard, Tetsuhiro flailed for a minute before he was kicked upwards by Hiroshi's legs connecting with his abdomen.

Hiroshi's legs were apparently made of metal as well, and very strong. The force of the kick sent Tetsuhiro flying, and he landed a short distance away, right into the side of the generator.

Souichi nearly dropped his gun as he rushed over to the generator, which was fenced off with yellow rope. Tetsuhiro was arching his back, his arms and legs twitching and his eyes wide. His mouth was open in a silent scream, and arcs of electricity were dancing all around him. The lights in the room flickered, and finally the emergency lights came on as the massive generator shut itself off, its security features kicking in.

Free of the electrical current, Tetsuhiro slumped to the floor, his eyes closing and small spasms wracking his body. Souichi almost tore the ropes away trying to get to him. He couldn't believe that the unconscious man was still breathing, but he was. Souichi lifted Tetsuhiro's upper body off of the ground, shaking him a bit to try and bring him to his senses. However, it was obvious that this time, he wouldn't be getting back up to fight Hiroshi.

Speaking of Hiroshi, Souichi's head whirled around just as Hiroshi was making a run for them. He obviously intended to finish them off with his fists, since he now had no gun. Lowering Tetsuhiro, Souichi took his own gun in one hand and pulled Tetsuhiro's out of the holster on his hip. The first shot missed, but the second tore through Hiroshi's upper chest. The man just kept coming, though. The bullet had apparently hit a protected spot, as there was very little blood from the wound.

Souichi didn't have time to get out of the way. He took Hiroshi's attack full-force, a harsh gasp coming from him as he was slammed into the now silent generator. Hiroshi was grabbing for one of his guns, and with a loud snapping sound, Souichi felt his arm break from Hiroshi's grip.

He was really pissed now.

Just as Hiroshi was raising the gun to his heart, and just before he pulled the trigger, Souichi leaned forward and rammed his forehead into the other man's. In that instant, he dropped his own gun, grabbed the gun from Hiroshi's momentarily-slack hand, aimed, and fired directly into the man's forehead.

This time, Hiroshi didn't get back up. He remained on the ground, unmoving and still staring in shock. There was no doubt about it, though; he was dead. Souichi's hands were trembling as he threw down the gun, though part of him felt like firing repeatedly into the cooling body. For a moment, he stared at the deceased, almost convinced that he would rise again at any time. This was the state in which Sachiko and Falcon found them.

"Well, looks like you've already taken him out," Sachiko said, bending down to confirm the lack of pulse, "The others are on their way. Once they arrive, we can get out of here."

"But… Tetsuhiro…" Souichi turned and knelt again, shaking hand reaching from his broken arm to his kouhai's trembling shoulder.

"He'll be OK," Falcon said, walking over and lifting Tetsuhiro into his arms, "Yae-san will take care of him. He was only electrocuted."

"But… ONLY electrocuted?"

"He can handle it," Sachiko reassured him, "But you seem to need medical attention, too. Yae-san can help with that, as well."

Souichi couldn't think of anything to say. He was shaking too badly to think, and all he could do was sit there and stare up at his kouhai, who still hadn't woken up. Sachiko and Falcon seemed so calm. Perhaps it was their training, which he realized he sorely lacked. He wondered why they would just leave, however. Surely some of them had to stay behind, in case their targets appeared. He wanted to ask about that, but again he couldn't remember how to make his vocal cords work. All he could do now was to wait for the others to come.

XXXXX

TBC

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**That's pretty much all of the action that this fic has to offer! No more after this. I haven't started chapter 12 yet, but it'll be easier to write since it doesn't have any fighting in it! This scene was SO hard to write, since there's a lot of zig-zagging back and forth. I hope I managed to write it clearly; I even had to go back and re-read quite a bit, because I ended up confusing myself! -_-' I was also worried about it seeming a bit rushed, since I tend to go directly from one major event to the other with little filler in between... I hope it's not too clipped! **


	12. Exodus

**Notes: Finally done! Here are the last two chapters. Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing! Thanks to ScissorMirror and lactase for giving me feedback on the last chapter! I hope the ending meets your expectations. Enjoy! ^_^**

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Chapter 12: Exodus

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Two hours later, the trainers and their students had hastily evacuated the power plant. Souichi didn't know why they were leaving like that, since there were still terrorists to be caught. However, at the moment, he didn't really care. _"Let them take down that whole company," _Souichi thought. He didn't give a damn, as long as Tetsuhiro was safe.

They were all currently sitting around the living room of an abandoned apartment. The building had been condemned, and Souichi had almost protested when they had gone around to the back entrance. He didn't know what these people were planning, but all of them seemed to know something that he didn't.

It seemed as if they used this apartment often, because there were definitely signs of habitation. The floor was clear of any debris, unlike the rest of the building. There were sleeping bags rolled up in one corner, and several bags and boxes full of God-only-knew what. In addition to that, as soon as they had arrived, Lee had taken the still-unconscious Tetsuhiro into the kitchen, laying him on a standing stretcher that had been there already. Sachiko was now busy splinting Souichi's arm, and he was surprised that she had the necessary medical equipment. She had even given him a painkilling shot before setting the bone, though he had still cursed enough to make Lily giggle.

As the others began rearranging the boxes and duffel bags, Souichi watched Lee tend to Tetsuhiro. The man was running a small, phone-shaped device slowly along Tetsuhiro's body. Every time his hand paused, the machine beeped. Finally, he stepped away and turned to Souichi, a small smile on his lips.

"He's going to be fine," he said, "The electricity didn't damage anything, except for a few burns here and there. The circuitry running through him is well-protected. Right now, he's sleeping so that his body can regulate itself again and heal what little damage there is. He will wake up in a little bit."

"Thanks," Souichi muttered, shifting over as Lee sat on the floor near him, "But what's going on now? Aren't we going back to the compound?"

"Not this time," Sachiko said, putting the final strip of tape over the tight bandage on Souichi's arm, "I'm sorry… you must be a bit confused. See, we have planned this all along. Escape, I mean," she put her hands up when Souichi's expression began to show some anger, "We didn't plan on Nakahara coming with us! He requested to come along at the last minute, and there was nothing we could do about it."

"We wanted to warn you beforehand," Lee said, "However, you were being watched too closely."

"So…" Souichi pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking he had misunderstood, "So we're **not **going back? We're just leaving?"

"That's right!" Miroku called from the other side of the room, hefting a bag out of the way as he dug around for something, "We've been planning this for two years, ever since we all joined!"

"Our goal is not just to escape," Lee explained, "but to reveal the company's activities."

"While we were supposed to be looking out for intruders in the power company building," Sachiko said, "we were actually gathering all of the documentation we had collected over the past few months. I sent copies of everything, along with a letter of explanation, to several government offices, as well as a couple of newspaper publishers and the national military office."

It took Souichi a moment to digest all of this information. Finally, he asked, "Why? I thought you guys were all on board with the organization."

"I was," Lee admitted, "I had once been one of the researchers working on the cases. I thought it was a good thing, to rehabilitate severely-injured and unwanted people for the good of the country. However…" he sighed, "the organization just uses them like tools. When one breaks, they replace it. I couldn't live with that any more…"

"Believe it or not," Sachiko said, "we're not all heartless. There were a lot of people in the company who thought it should be shut down, but none of them are brave enough to say anything. There were some who quit in anger, but rumors quickly spread about the company having them assassinated. It was enough to scare people into compliance."

"And I was out to get the company the whole time!" Miroku called, and Souichi raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, Big Brother works for the Japanese government!" Lily piped in, shoving a pile of clothing into one of the duffel bags, "He was sent to spy!"

"The idiot actually knows his stuff," Sachiko sighed, "He's been sending information to his bureau when he can. The information we sent to the other agencies and the media was just to make sure they got it. It'll spread quickly; they may already be closing in on Takeda."

"As for the terrorist threat," Miroku said, "that was us! We called it in, identifying ourselves as the group who had targeted the power company before. That way, they'd take it seriously enough to dispatch all of us! Neat, huh?"

"Yeah…" Souichi didn't know whether to feel relieved or not, "So… where do we go from here, then? What if we're hunted down or something?"

"We have a plan for that, too, if you're interested," Sachiko said, "The six of us were all going to move out of the country for a while. We've been saving everything we can, and we have plenty to start a new life. Do you want to come along?"

"Where were you planning to go?"

"Murata has some connections in America. We were thinking of going there for a while."

"I don't know…" Souichi thought for a minute, "I have a brother in Canada. I could go with him."

"That's good," Lee said, "However, remember that you should keep our contact information. I know a great deal about the cybernetic implants and how they work in the body. If Angel- er, Morinaga-san ever needs it, I can come and treat him."

"Thanks," Souichi didn't know what else to say. He felt like these people were being too nice to him, sweeping him to safety just when he needed it. They were even offering to help in case of an emergency. It was almost strange, after the initial adrenaline rush of the fight with Hiroshi and the months of agonizingly slow planning. "I'm indebted to you," he said, bowing his head, "I don't know how I'll ever repay you…"

"Hey, that's what we do!" Miroku said, "We're all a team, you know!"

"Besides, you got rid of that meanie Nakahara!" Lily said, giggling a little, "Sorry… I had to say it…"

"He was a big threat to our plan," Sachiko confirmed, "You did us all a favor when you shot him."

"I guess," Souichi looked up again, feeling a bit lighter. There was nowhere to go now but up, he supposed. Suddenly, he thought of something. "Yae-san, what about the drugs? The mind-controlling chemicals they used on Tetsuhiro…" he said, "Can the effects really be reversed?"

"Absolutely," Lee replied, though his tone was a bit serious, "I should warn you, though, that none of them – Morinaga-san included – will ever really be the same. The effects will take months to wear off completely, and after that he may still have some lasting damage. He could have slight short-term memory loss, though it shouldn't get any worse if he does present with it."

"I see… But… he'll be OK, right?"

"There's no reason for him not to be. None of them has been under the controlling substances for long enough to affect lifespan or anything like that."

"That's good…" Souichi couldn't help but sigh in relief. If he had to put up with a slightly more forgetful kouhai from now on, he was willing to do it as long as Tetsuhiro was going to live.

"Angel-kun is waking up," Mira suddenly called, and Souichi swiftly stood and walked into the open kitchen. Tetsuhiro opened his eyes and looked around before finally focusing on his senpai, and he gave him a small smile.

Souichi wanted to yell at him, but he was so happy to see him awake. _"You idiot!" _he thought, _"You shouldn't have rushed Nakahara like that; you could have been killed!" _There were tears of joy in his eyes, though. He couldn't bring himself to say those things. They were finally going home, and he would finally have his kouhai back.

"Senpai… are you all right?" Tetsuhiro asked.

"I'm fine," Souichi said, "Just a busted arm."

The green eyes darkened. "Where is he?" Tetsuhiro suddenly sat up and looked around. He had forgotten about the battle for a moment.

"Nakahara's dead," Souichi said simply, "Don't think about him anymore. Just…" he blushed slightly and pulled back, realizing that he had been leaning in to hug the man and that the others were watching them, "Just forget about all of it."

"Where are we, Senpai?"

"Free, that's where…"

"We're leaving the organization!" Lily chirped, clapping her small hands together, "We get to go to America, and fly on a plane, and my brother says I can have ice cream when we get there!"

"You sure can!" Miroku cooed, patting her head, his face glowing with affection, "Anything for my little sister! I can't wait to introduce you to my girlfriend, though I guess I'll have a hard time explaining the cyborg part… Well, it'll be on the news soon anyway, so what the heck? You're just too cute to hide! I just know she'll love you, and we can all be one big happy family, and-"

"Enough, already!" a chorus of voices shouted in exasperation, coming from everyone else present. Souichi's eye twitched. The two really were exactly alike.

By the time all of the sleeping bags were set out, it was almost dawn. Souichi decided to get a few hours of sleep before getting out of there. He was still anxious about the organization, though, and he jumped at every little sound made by the old building.

Gradually, everyone settled into their respective sleeping bags for the night. However, Souichi's worries about Takeda and the company kept him awake. As he lay there, listening and watching carefully, he couldn't help but notice that the others were rather… close. He was surprised to see Lee and Mira sleeping on the same mat together, his arms wrapped protectively around her. _"How could I have missed that before?" _Souichi thought back to all of the times that he had seen them interact. He had been so absorbed in his own problems that he had never really paid much heed to the others. _"Who could blame me, though?" _he thought, huffing a little.

He glanced over at where Sachiko and Falcon were sleeping. They weren't close in the sense that Lee and Mira were, but they still slept close together. It was obvious that Falcon respected his trainer, and she seemed to take care of him. They really were like a teacher and student.

Miroku and Lily were even closer than that, though… Souichi sighed when he saw them, sleeping on mats that were pushed tightly together. Miroku was pointing head-first towards the door, while Lily lay in the opposite position. Both were spread across the blankets, arms akimbo, mouths wide open and snoring. _"They're irritating even when they're asleep!" _Souichi thought.

Then there was Tetsuhiro. He turned his head so he could see his sleeping kouhai, whose mat was about a foot away from Souichi's. He had often felt lonely without Tetsuhiro by his side, but now he ached for the other man's touch. He missed having the idiot cuddle up to him, like he had in the hotel after the fire. He had once told himself that he didn't like it at all, but that had been when he could have that feeling whenever he felt like allowing it. For the past several months, it hadn't even been an option. Now they were on the floor together, closer than they had been in a while, and Souichi couldn't resist. He pulled Tetsuhiro to him, burying his face in the sleeping man's chest.

He fell asleep almost instantly.

XXXXX

The very next day, Souichi finally went home with Tetsuhiro. They didn't go back to the apartment, though. Instead, Souichi led them straight to Matsuda's house.

"Big Brother!" Kanako exclaimed when she opened the door, and Souichi couldn't stop her from hugging him tightly.

"Watch the arm!" he said crossly, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"Brother, what happened?" she asked, but then she spotted Tetsuhiro, "M- Morinaga-san? Is that really you?"

"Um…" Tetsuhiro didn't answer, but the happy girl rushed to him before he could have. She hugged him as tightly as she had hugged Souichi.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" she said, pulling away, "Brother, did you find him? Was that where you'd **really** gone? Is that how you got that injury? We all thought the vacation thing was a little weird!"

"Let's just go inside," Souichi said wearily, but he was elated to see her. He had almost forgotten his arm and hugged her back. "Where's Matsuda-san?"

"Went shopping," Kanako said, sitting on the couch between Souichi and Tetsuhiro, "So what happened? Where were you, Morinaga-san? Brother, what happened to your arm? Tell me everything!"

"You have a right to know," Souichi said, "Go ahead and turn the TV down." It was blaring, showing some cartoon woman sitting at a computer and typing as she tried to keep her cat away from the keyboard. A cartoon man was shuffling around the room, ranting about his wallet as his wife tried to concentrate on her task. Kanako lowered the volume, and sat looking eagerly back and forth between the two men.

The explanation took a while, and by the end of the story, Kanako's mouth was hanging open. She looked from Souichi to Tetsuhiro, and then finally said, "Wow… R- Really? Brother, if you weren't always such a stick in the mud, I wouldn't believe you!"

"I am not a stick in the mud!" Souichi grumbled indignantly.

"Morinaga-san, are you really made of metal now?"

"Uh… Yes, I am…" he said, still unsure of how to act around Kanako. It was strange, being around someone he didn't remember ever meeting yet who he was told he had known for a while.

"Not really," Souichi said, remembering what Lee had told him before, "Only some parts are made of metal, and even then they're mostly just plated with metal inserts. Most of the enhancements were done on his muscles and joints to strengthen them."

"Cool…" Kanako said, poking Tetsuhiro's arm a little, "But that means you're like Astro Boy or the Terminator!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Souichi said, shaking his head. Something on the television caught his eye, though. The cartoon had just been interrupted by a new clip. "Turn up the volume!" he said, and Kanako did so.

"… arrested just now, found hiding in a separate bunker not far from the SITE's compound," the reporter was saying, and a picture of Iza Takeda came on the screen, "This stranger-than-fiction story, confirmed as true by the government, was leaked early this morning from an anonymous source. It is unclear whether or not the SITE's activities are tied with the purported activities of Italy's Social Welfare Agency, which was said to have conducted similar operations of cybernetic enhancements and human experimentation."

"I can't believe it!" Kanako shouted, leaping up suddenly, "It's true! It really, really is!"

Souichi just smiled, and glanced at Tetsuhiro. His kouhai's face was nearly blank; he still didn't understand the full story, and was still a bit confused by everything. "We're going to visit Tomoe in Canada for a while," he said once Kanako had calmed down a bit, "Do you want to come?"

"Aww, I don't know…" Kanako seemed to think seriously about it, "It's a little scary, moving to another country…"

"It might be just as well for you to stay here," Souichi said, leaning back on the couch, "It'll be safer, I guess, but then again you could be targeted… I might decide to bring you along anyway, just in case."

"Well… OK!" Kanako nodded, "Gee, Brother, you sure do attract a lot of trouble! First the stalker, now this… What am I gonna do with you?" she laughed a little too loudly.

"It's not my fault!" Souichi shouted, but he couldn't bring himself to anger. He was just relieved to be out of that hell. He looked back over at Tetsuhiro, who was watching the cartoons on TV. _"He probably hasn't seen a TV since he was taken," _Souichi thought, and absent-mindedly reached out to brush a few strands of black hair away from that handsome face. His kouhai turned to look at him, and smiled.

Even though Kanako was giggling again, making suggestive comments about their relationship, Souichi didn't mind. He smiled back at Tetsuhiro, thinking that soon they could leave the past behind them and move forward into their future.

Soon, Tetsuhiro would smile at him the way he used to.

XXXXX

End

XXXXX

**Well that's technically the end! However, I'm posting an epilogue. I can't just leave things like this! I hope I didn't focus too much on the OCs, but I didn't give them much time earlier in the story… I just didn't want to make the plot about them, you know? It's about Souichi and Tetsuhiro, so I wanted to keep OC appearances to a minimum. Still, I had to add a little bit about their lives. **

**Also, a bonus question: three guesses as to who the cartoon couple on Matsuda's TV is! My husband has a bad habit of losing his things just when I settle down to write, and my cat's an attention-grabber whenever I'm busy... When I'm not doing anything, though, he ignores me! -_-'**


	13. Epilogue

**Notes: And here it is; the epilogue! I want to take this last opportunity to thank you all. A story isn't worth anything if it's not read and enjoyed by people, and I'm glad that you have made this fic worth something! Because of ScissorMirror (my Tyrant fic buddy!), wastedaddiction, ShesGotYourEyes, Amy-sama90, lactase, and camira, I was encouraged to continue writing even when I got lazy or discouraged. Thank you all! Thanks to those of you who are reading, too! I can honestly say that I sort of surprised myself; I finished this quickly. Then again, it's not exactly a novel! (lol) Still, I've never written anything like this before, and it was sort of tough. It was a bit short – I probably could have stretched it out over several more chapters – but I'm not very good at interesting filler (except for these long-ass author's notes, but they're not particularly interesting anyway!), and I have a bad habit of getting to the point too quickly… I'm very glad you all liked it, though! Thanks again! **

XXXXX

Epilogue

XXXXX

Souichi almost couldn't believe it had been nearly a year since their escape. It had been almost a year since the horrifying ordeal, and a little less than that since they had relocated to Canada. They now lived close to Tomoe and Mitsugu, in an apartment that was a bit more spacious than their last one. Though they visited often, Souichi was glad that his brother (and, to a lesser extent, his brother's lover) were there for dinner that night.

There was also another dinner guest; one that Souichi had never thought he'd see again. Kunihiro Morinaga was there, sitting a bit uncomfortably on the couch next to Mitsugu and Tomoe, looking a little nervous. Souichi didn't have to ask why. Every so often, Kunihiro's attention would drift away from the conversation and he would stare into the kitchen, where Tetsuhiro was busy preparing the meal with Kanako's help.

"_It's still hard for him," _Souichi thought, watching as Kunihiro's frown deepened a bit, his eyes trained on his little brother. The long-haired man couldn't say he blamed Kunihiro; he couldn't imagine what he would do if he found out that one of his siblings had been turned into a science experiment.

It had been hard for Souichi at first, too. Even though he had confessed his feelings, even though he knew that his Tetsuhiro hadn't changed on the inside, at first he had often gazed at the man in wonderment and a bit of consternation. However, gradually he had gotten used to the strange little quirks that Tetsuhiro's body now displayed. As the drugs had worn off and as Tetsuhiro's personality began to emerge again, Souichi found it easier to accept the physical changes.

"_It's certainly handy," _he thought, remembering all of the times he had relied on Tetsuhiro to lift something heavy or to bend something into place. Sex was the only aspect in which the changes were overtly noticeable. Souichi still wasn't used to the feeling of hard metal beneath soft skin in certain places, and Tetsuhiro always had to be very careful to avoid hurting his lover during the more passionate phases of lovemaking. Souichi blushed, forcing himself to think of other things, but found that he was staring at his kouhai's derriere through the archway leading to the kitchen.

"_Damn it…" _

Turning his attention back to his brother, he nodded absently at something he'd said, agreeing with whatever it was. Tomoe immediately blushed. "S- so you're really sleeping together now?" he said, shock written across his face, "I had no idea!"

"_Damn Tetsuhiro and his ass!" _Souichi thought, crossing his arms defensively. "So what if we are?" he said, "You shouldn't ask things like that!"

"Sorry!"

"So he's…" Souichi was surprised to hear Kunihiro speak; he'd been so quiet up until then, "Tetsuhiro's really not… hurt in any way?"

"No," Souichi reached for a cigarette, then remembered the scolding he'd get from Tetsuhiro and Kanako if he lit up inside the house, "He's a little forgetful, but honestly he was that way before, so…"

"I see…" Kunihiro's gaze fell to the carpet, and Tomoe and his partner remained silent. Then, he said, "Does he remember what happened?"

"He doesn't remember much," Souichi shrugged, then took a moment to think about it before saying, "He says he only remembers-" but he stopped himself there. _"I only remember hearing your voice, Senpai," _Tetsuhiro had told him a while ago, _"I remember trying to reach you, and you were reaching back for me…" _He didn't want to say something like that aloud in front of all these people, so he cleared his throat and said instead, "He only remembers bits and pieces. Thoughts and feelings – those sorts of things…" he trailed off as he remembered all of the nights spent calming his kouhai after he had dreams about the ordeal. _"I don't remember," _was always the response when asked what he had dreamed about, _"It was just so bright… Bright lights, and people around me… talking about 'epithelialization' and nerve excitability… Like being in a hospital…" _

He didn't want to worry Kunihiro, though, and he didn't feel like sharing something that personal with everyone anyway. "He's fine," he said simply, turning to look into the kitchen, "Hey, Tetsu! Hurry up with the grub, will ya?"

"Coming up!" Tetsuhiro and Kanako came into the room bearing trays of food, "Sheesh, Senpai, you're so impatient…"

"He's just grumpy 'cause he's hungry," Kanako said, setting a bowl of food in front of her oldest brother, "Eat up and get happy, already!"

"Just gimme the chopsticks," Souichi grumbled, but he gave Kunihiro one last understanding look.

The other man smiled a little, and then looked up as his brother served him dinner. "Tetsuhiro," he said, "you're feeling all right?"

"Yeah, why?" Tetsuhiro didn't catch the relief on his brother's face as he sat down next to Souichi, his own plate in front of him, "Dig in, everybody!"

XXXXX

Later that night, Souichi finally felt that his world was as it should be. Tomoe and Mitsugu had gone home, Kunihiro had gone back to his hotel, Kanako was sound asleep in her room, and he and Tetsuhiro had just finished having a refreshing round of sex.

Souichi sighed, wrapping his arms around Tetsuhiro's shoulders. It was always wonderful, he thought, even the feeling of the synthetic skin on Tetsuhiro's shoulders and knees. It was slightly more rubbery, though it felt close enough to human skin. Souichi stroked the band that stretched around his kouhai's left shoulder, thinking that he really didn't mind being gay after all. He had even stopped trying to say that Tetsuhiro had turned him, accepting that perhaps he'd been this way all along. Not aloud, though. He wouldn't admit it out loud yet.

Still, it was hard to get used to the butt ache. He shifted a bit uncomfortably, reaching up to stroke Tetsuhiro's silky hair. Tetsuhiro sighed in contentment, snuggling into Souichi's neck. "I love you, Senpai," he breathed.

"I love you," Souichi responded, and he delighted in the feeling of Tetsuhiro smiling against his skin, as he always did when Souichi said those words. "You're my angel, you know…" he muttered it without thinking, and instantly turned bright red.

"What do you mean?" Tetsuhiro asked, but received a smack on the head for his curiosity.

"Nothing," Souichi grumbled, pressing his kouhai's body closer to keep him from looking up, "I didn't say anything." He had, though, and he still thought it. Tetsuhiro was his angel. He always had been. As he thought of all the things Tetsuhiro had done for him, in the past and in the present, a flood of emotions filled him. Try as he did to quell the surge, he couldn't fight it. The ecstasy of love and the agony of loss were both part of his memories of Tetsuhiro, and he suddenly reached down to kiss the man.

Now the roles were reversed. Souichi rolled on top of Tetsuhiro, kissing him for all he was worth. The feeling of metal pressing into his sides as Tetsuhiro held onto his hips reminded Souichi of what had happened, but now he thought it was a good thing. No matter what had happened, his angel always came back to him. Tetsuhiro had been altered forever, changed into something that was posthuman, but Souichi was convinced it was a testament to his inner strength. Souichi wanted to feel that strength, and he did as he explored the beautiful body beneath his.

During dinner, Mitsugu had dared to bring up the subject of relationships. "Are you two actually boyfriends now, or are you technically partners?" he had asked, and Souichi had nearly stabbed him with his chopsticks for his impudence. Now, he contemplated that question. Were they lovers, boyfriends, partners? He didn't know which to classify their relationship as. At the moment, though, he didn't care about labels. He didn't care that he had practically come out of the closet. At the moment, he just wanted to show his angel how much he loved him.

XXXXX

**The End**

…**And they lived happily ever after! ^_^ Sorry for all the fluff, but I like fluff! I know this was sort of a weird fic; not only because of the plot, but because of the split between being a sci-fi/action story and a story about Sou's and Tetsu's love. I'm not sure how well I managed to balance it all, but I hope it worked! One final word of thanks for reading and reviewing! Lady Tsuru, signing out… for now, at least…**


End file.
